


My Three leaf Clover

by clove



Series: Vampire Hunter Clove [1]
Category: Vampire Hunter D
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Horror, Humor, Love, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-31
Updated: 2016-10-22
Packaged: 2017-12-13 13:36:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 25,998
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/824884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clove/pseuds/clove
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>While exploring a house D finds a little dhamphir girl, and decides to let her travel with him. Now D faces one of the most difficult challenges of his life, raising this little girl while continuing to hunt... will it work out?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. What will you do?

As soon as the last ray of sun disappeared the bridge extended. A large solid piece of stone work wide enough for two horses to walk side by side slid soundlessly across the gap and into place in front of the two brothers. Although the stonework was crumbling the noble technology was still working perfectly as often was the case across the globe. As soon as the bridge gave a small mechanical click signaling it was secure Jake was off with his younger brother on his heel. D watched from his perch on a boulder as the two thundered a crossed the bridge.

"Quite anxious to die, eh?" scoffed D's hand "They hire you but rush off before you can! Not that that's a bad. A human is always good to use as a shield, ha!"

"That's not nice, they're just concerned for their mother and sister..." Clove said softly from her spot by Ives. She nuzzled the dark horse as she spoke. The young dhampire had an uneasy feeling and had no idea why. They had been through many similar situations before so there should be no need to worry but still; she worried.

"Yeah, a mother and sister who are dead!" D's hand spat out. "Humans are so pathetic, those two know that they're dead but still risk their lives to drag out the stiff corpses."

"You just don't understand. A human’s life is so short... It just means more to them than it does to you..." Clove replied quietly.

All Clove got in response from the parasite was a 'hmp'.

"I think for humans they have more of a grasp on righteousness," Clove continued. "It's because of their short lives. They need to process things and move on from things faster so that they can continue on. They have to find them even if they are already dead..."

D looked thoughtfully at the little girl. She may be young but she had a better understanding of humans then he did. Maybe it was her age that made understand them. 

"They feel their morality pressing on them..." D said adding his musing to the mix, "That's why those bodies mean so much... Their time on this earth is so short to begin with, they do not feel need for it to be ended for them." Stepping down from the boulder he closed the subject by looking down and addressing Clove. 

 

"Wait for 20 minutes and then take Ives into the castle with you. Pick up any injured and leave." Once he had gotten a confirming nod from Clove he stepped onto the bridge and ran swiftly after the brothers.

Clove watched D disappear into the castle, his cape flying behind him. She let out a sigh and plopped down on to the ground. More waiting.

 

D slowed his steps as he crossed the threshold into the ruin of a castle. The brothers stood waiting for him. It seemed contrary to the parasite's ravings they had some sense. Before them were two wide stone staircases with a wooden door between them. Open stone archways lined the walls. As D walked toward the two he glanced into them. Just empty rooms with broken down wooded doors and splintered remains of furniture.

"Through that door," D said as he strode toward the door between the stairs.

"How'd ya know that?" Lawrence asked shoulder his shot gun and walking after the hunter his brother followed with his gun at the ready.

"Because for one the door looks new," Jake said a bit annoyed with his little brother, "And two the whole place is roofless so there'd be no sense for a vamp to be living up there with the sunshine."

Lawrence's cheeks got hot, "I knew that..." he mumbled.

D grasped the brass doorknob and was surprised that it was unlocked. The doors hinges squealed as D opened it revealing a long stone spiral staircase descending into the ground.

"That stupid bastard is so cocky he didn't even lock the goddamn door..." Jake growled out.

Slowly the three descended, the smell of wet earth increasing with every step. The trio were schocked at what awaited them at the bottom. The basement was a long rectangular room filled with large stone columns that supported the structure above with a dirt. From the column hung a plethora of chains and attached to those chins were the women and girls of the village. 

"Ma!" Lawrence cried out. The one single word was laden with emotion. He and his brother rushed past D to their mother's side. 

D glanced around as he walked farther into the room. The women were all dirty and ragged looking. The dhampire had seen this before; this vampire was starting a harem. At the sight of the three men the prisoners all began to weep and call for help. Their pitiful cries along with jostling of chains filled and echoed around the room. Almost every woman had a pale looking face and bite wounds on their neck. They were all near death but none of them had been turned into a vampire or a zombie.

"Oh... my boys... my boys," a women with dull blonde hair breathed out. She still wore her cooking apron, a testament to the unexpected and impulsive nature of her kidnapping. Jake buried his face in his mother's chest while Lawrence kneeling at her side, both were crying.

Gathering himself Lawrence quickly stood up and glanced around. His eyes stopped on a nearby column and he ran to another woman, his sister. "Lilly!" he yelled sliding to a stop in front of her. She had black hair like her twin and the same face as well. She sobbed, "Please Lawrence... please get us out..."

D continued passed the reunited family to the end of the room; stopping to stand before another door. Jake glanced up at the hunter as he pass and saw his destination. He pulled himself from his mother and stood up.

"I'll be back mom, Lily," He said as he jogged to catch up with D. "Lawrence you unchain all these girls and get outta here, I'll gonna look for the vampire."

Lawrence gave his brother a nod and got to his feet. He pulled his gun from its holster and pointed at the lock of his sister's chains. "You'd better hurry because if all the chain rattling didn't wake this vamp up, this will." With that he pulled the trigger. The gun went off and shattered the lock. The sharp sound of bullet on metal echoed off the stone walls.

Like before the door wasn't locked so D just walked right in. Jake hesitated a bit, looking back at his brother and now freed sister before following him. The two walked down a long narrow hallway. It was completely devoid of light and smelt of mildew and dampness. As he walked farther into the darkness Jake's breath began to quicken, his palms to sweat, and the hair on the back of his neck to stand up. The two continued on in silence, only the sound of their footsteps to comfort them. D's eyes made out a second door. Slowly he drew his sword, the hiss of it sliding from its sheath caused his human companion to grasp his shotgun even tighter. D reached out and grasped the knob.

 

Clove climbed onto Ives's back and tugged at his reins. She had waited long enough. Quickly, Ives galloped over the bridge and into the castle. As she crossed the threshold she was shocked to find Lawrence coming toward her with a woman on each side of him. She pulled Ives' reins hard to stop him from trampling the three.

"Clove!" Lawrence yelled out.

Her hard pull caused Ives's to winy and rear up on his back legs. Clove quickly brought him to the ground and reached out to pat his muzzle in order to calm him.

"Clove thank god, they're alive!" the young man yelled. He wore a optimistic smile and his voice was heavy with emotion. 

Clove looked down at the two women at his side, this mother and sister. Lawrence reached around to his back and pulled out another pistol. He held it out to her. "Here take this and start shooting locks!" 

The girl took the pistol and dismounted. As soon as she hit the ground she was off down the stairs. She began to blast locks off and was soon joined again by Lawrence. Just as she was about to help a weakly woman to her feet the room shook and a cloud of dust billowed out from the hallway in which D and Jake had gone.

Lawrence uttered an nonsensical noise of shock and panic and ran down the length of the room. Coughing as she was engulfed in the cloud of dust, Clove climbed to her feet and followed. As she advanced she motioned for the other victims to help one another and leave quickly. The closer the girl got the more obvious the collapse became.

Moonlight streamed in through the now open ceiling. It seemed the room was once the basement to a tower. Clove stared up through the wreckage. Some support beams remained intact a cross the circular tower and cast eerie shadows on the wreckage below. Suddenly, two figures came together in the air and the clank of metal on metal sounded down to her. For a moment Clove could see D and his sword locked with the vampire before they pushed off and began to leap among the timbers, clashing occasionally.

A cry from Lawrence caught her attention and she turned. Lawrence knelt at his brother's side. Jake had a blank stare and blood dribbling from his mouth. He was dead, crushed by falling rocks. Clove felt the sting of tears at her eyes but composed herself. She went to his side and pulled on at the sobbing man's arm. He didn't budge and didn't attempt to wipe at the tears running down his face.

"Lawrence please, we need to go," she pleaded. "You can't help him now but you can help those women. We have to get them out before that vampire finds out."

Lawrence looked up at her; the realization that she was there finally sinking in. He took a deep but shaky breath and nodded solemnly to her. The young man and the girl were quickly on their feet again rushing back to the make-shift prison. Silently, Clove prayed for no more dead tonight.

 

D let his long blade finish it's full arch down as he landed crouched on the remains of a rampart. Slowly, D rose to his feet and surveyed the ruins for the vampire. The sharp sound of hooves on stone drew his attention. As he glanced toward the sound he saw Lawrence leading the women to safety. Lawrence, not Clove. His brow furrowed and began to scan the area for for the girl. 

In his moment of distraction the vampire sprang forward, catching dark swordsmen off guard. D's head turned just in time to see the vampire charge into him. The powerful force of the blow knocked the air from the dhampire's lungs and he felt himself falling back. Unfortunately, the only thing to break his fall was the crumbled down wall. One step, two step, and the back of his knees collided with the pile of stones. Flipping head over heels D tumbled down the side and toward the river below. As the vampire's laughed D righted himself, twisted his body, and reached out for something to stop his descent.

His grasping hand caught the remains of stone waterspout. Using the momentum he got from his fall he swung himself up and through a gap in the wall and came to a gracefully landing on a creaking wooden floor. At the edge of his vision he saw a blur of black heading toward him. The high crack of metal echoed off the remaining walls.

The vampire stared down at D, his blonde hair coming loose from his ponytail and falling into his face. His metal formed arm was the only thing stopping D from cutting of his head. From their stalemate the bridge was clearly visible.

"It looks like your harem is running away..." D's monotone voice said.

The vampire growled and his brows furrowed in anger. "So it would seem..." He replied. With a roar he pushed off from D's blade and sprung up into the air. The tails of his coat flew around him as he came to sit on the stone remains of the next level. He looked down at the bridge and saw a black stallion with a small rider a top it's back. Right away he knew the girl rider wasn't human and flashed a grin to the hunter. "Pretty little girls become beautiful women and one pretty little dhampire girl would make up for losing all of them."

D's lip began to curl up and he could feel the anger rising within him. His grip on his sword tightened. His reaction caused the vampire to laugh out. In the blink of an eye he had launched himself off the building and was free falling toward Clove. D followed closely behind. The wind roared in his ears as a fear he'd never known before over took him. As he came to a hard landing the vampire was lifting Clove from her seat on Ives. Clove let out a startled shriek as she became weightless. The vampire held her tightly to his chest.

D leap into the air and swung his sword a crossed the vampire's back. His free hand reached out to grasp the end tails of his cloak. As he came back down to the bridge he yanked on the cloak hard and brought the vampire against the stone with a loud smack. Quickly, D shifted his grasp on his blade and brought his sword down straight into the vampire's shoulder, pinning him to the bridge. The dhampire reached down and wrapped an arm around Clove's waist. With a quick yank she was free and clinging to him.

With a frustrated yell the vampire pull himself off the stone bridge sword and all. As he turned to face D the dhampire grabbed the sword's hilt and pulled it hard to the right. The vampire braced himself against the pull and held on to the sword. D gave a quick powerful yank and the sword tore from the vampire's hands and shoulder. Blood sprayed out from the deep gaping wound. D brought his sword back and swung it toward the vampire's head who held up his steal arm to block the potentially decapitating blow.

This angered D to no end. This vampire had tried to take Clove, had had his hands on her, and now was not dying. D let out a yell himself and with all of his strength he continued to push the sword. The vampire was pushed back toward the edge of the bridge. He flayed his arms trying to grasp on something and fell over the edge. D with Clove held close to his chest looked over the edge just in time to see the vampire disappear into the raging river. Vampires sink, even without the help of steel arms. 

D flicked the black blood from his blade and sheaved his sword. He slowly came to sit down with Clove clutching at him. The little girl curled up with her head tucked into her knees at his side. Her shoulders were pulled in tight and she sobbed quietly. D gently stroked her cheek.

"Clove..."

At his gentle touch Clove turned and buried her face in his lower chest. D pulled the crying girl into her lap and held her tightly. He let out a breath of relief and laid his head a top hers. D had never felt fear like that before. It wasn't the fear of death or that unavoidable fear you get when you know you're about to be hit by an attacker. It was the fear of losing someone, of losing Clove. After a moment D rose again bringing Clove up in his arms as he did so. He placed her on Ives's and mounted behind her. Like always his arm was around her waist but this time she held on to it. Ives slowly clopped down the bridge and toward Lawrence. D continued Ives on past the group of women and into the field, not the deer path leading toward town.

"Hey!" Lawrence called. "Wait don't you want your money!"

D stopped Ives and without glancing back he said, "Keep it." Leaving the villagers with his last words to them he drove Ives to a gallop a crossed the field. Lawrence watched with his mother and sister at his side as the two dhampires disappeared down a hill.


	2. True Nature

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clove starts to come out of her shell.

D was roused in the late morning by a small warm body stirring next to him. The new day's sun had just risen over the mountains quickly warming the chilly air. The morning doves and birds had already been up for an hour filing the air with their cheerful coos. D looked down at the little girl who was innocently nuzzled against him. Her eyelids fluttered and her eyes slowly opened to look back up at D. He was again a bit stunned when looking into her innocent aqua eyes.

"I guess you're hungry..." D said in his usual monotone voice. The little girl nodded against his chest. D lifted his arm off the girl and rose to his feet. As he made his way to his saddlebag he noticed how much that small body had warmed him. D's steed was as black as night with horns sporting just above its ears. It stood near the roads edge and neighed in acknowledgment of its rider. D pulled out the heel of a loaf of bread and handed it to the girl who was standing right behind him. He didn't have much in the way of supplies he had learned to live off barely anything, his being only half human helped to cut down on his food intake.

D was a pretty knowledgeable man but now that he began to think he realized he had not idea how to take care of this little girl. He was pretty sure that his small amount of provisions was not enough to feed a growing child. Clove had taken her heel of bread and sat back down next to the tree to eat it.

"Kind of a hassle huh?" D's hand spoke. "I mean all of these things you'll have to do... why bother?" D didn't answer. "Admit it Dhampir, you've got no clue how to take care of this girl. It's best to just dump her in an orphanage!"

"No it's not..." D responded. "You weren't there when I was a child... a human orphanage is not the right place for her... I could give her to the most informed child care caretaker but they wouldn't be able to fully understand her needs." D paused and watched the girl. She had finished her heel and now sat looking around her. The mooring sun filtered through the shifting leaves and danced shadows on her dress. "If she's with me she won't have to find something out on her own, like heat syndrome..." D turned his attention back to his horse. He buckled his saddlebag and took his horse's reins. He needed to go to a town to get supplies but there was no rush. He knew from his years of wandering there was a town was just a few miles away. Since he had no bounty to fulfill he thought he might as well just walk the horse there.

"Clove..." D called without looking back at her. Clove got her feet and went to his side. "We're going to walk to the nearest town for supplies, we should be there around noon..." D led his horse back onto the road and with Clove following near the tail end they began to walk. It was a bit on the chilly side but nothing that would have bothered the two Dhampirs. To them it was prefect walking weather.

"Clove... What kind of name it what? Named after an herb..."

The little girl started at D's hand, the source of the voice. She hadn't met his parasite yet. D glanced back and saw her look of puzzlement. "I guess I should explain a bit..." He stopped his walking and turned to face her, the palm of his left hand extended to her. Clove walked forward and a look of shock hit her face when she saw his hand morph into the face of an old man. She looked up at D with open mouth amazement; the child looked more thrilled with this strange quirk then afraid.

Left hand screwed up his face, sizing up the little blond girl, "I hope you're a lucky little clover..." he said.

Clove frowned at the hand and put her hands on her hips, "Are you saying I'm unlucky?"

"Well, that remains to be seen... but probably..."

Clove just uttered a 'hmp' to this and looked away. D closed his hand a small curve on his lips showing his amusement. He had never shown anyone the parasite before and like before he was pleased with her reaction.

They continued down the sun filled timber fenced lane. Clove got tired of following behind and was now heading their little walk, her hair bouncing with her step and her dress swaying to and fro. She seemed interested in everything, completely filled with childish wonder. It seemed she forgot about her parents for the moment, which was fine for D. He didn't really want to bring the subject up anyways.

Clove began picking long stemmed yellow dandelions that littered the roadside. The modesty and shyness that Clove had was disappearing. Her true nature and personality was coming through. By the time the village came into view she had a large bouquet picked.

D had his dark steed jump the split timber fence into a small tree encircled meadow and then turned to Clove. "I'm going to go into this town, I want you to stay here with my horse," he said as he untied and shouldered his saddlebag.

"What's its name?"

D looked down at the girl. She was standing next to the fence petting the horse's black velvet nose. She looked up at him. "He's got a name doesn't he?"

He shook his head, "No, I never gave him a name..." Now that D thought about it, he never named any of his horses; maybe he didn't want to get attached.

Clove looked back at the horse, a smile on her face, "Then I'll have to name him... but I have to think..." She looked up at him, a wide smile on her face. "By the time you get back I'll have a wonderful name for him!"

D graced the girl with the slight curve of his mouth and an approving nod. As D started to walk down the path he cast a look back toward the field. Clove had climbed over the fence and was leading the horse farther into the field; dandelions in one hand and the reins in the other.

It took D a while to get all of his supplies. Shop keeps were always weary of him but when he requested a child-sized cloak, he got more than a strange look. He had to threaten the storekeeper by grabbing the hilt of his sword to get him to sell it. He ended up pay four times its original price, not that it mattered. D had enough money to go around. When he finally got everything he needed, or thought he needed, it was late in the after noon. With his saddlebag full he walked back to the meadow, his steps a bit quicker than normal. He felt a bit of fear, what would happen if some village happened upon the little girl all alone? A sigh of relief left D's lips when he came around the bend and spotted the girl and his horse. The small ting of fear and then of relief confused the tall dhampir and he still himself as he approached. 

The setting sun cast long shadows over the meadow but the girl and the horse were still lit. The two had settled in next to a large weeping willow. Clove was sitting on the ground. The horse was tethered to a tree limb lazily eating grass. Clove's fingers were working with something she had in her lap, something D couldn't see. He hoped the fence and approached the girl. As he got closer he could see that in her lap were the yellow dandelions she had picked. Clove's head came up from her work and she smiled at D.

D walked to his horse and slung the bag back onto it's back. "Did you think of a name yet?"

"Yes," Clove replied. She slid her dandelion work from her lap and went to stand by D. Stroking the horse's muzzle she said, "I named him Ives. I think it fits." Clove smiled up at him and sat back down with her back against the tree to continued her work. D finished securing his bag then with a loaf of bread and water canteen to share he sat down next to Clove. She was busy twisting the flowers' stems together. Was she weaving them? Anyone else wouldn't have known the little girl was making a simple flower chain but D had never spent time with young children and certainly had never done any flower picking in his time.

D tore the loaf in half and held it out to Clove. She took it and began to eat it ravenously. "What are you making?" D asked as he uncorked the canteen.

With a mouth full of bread Clove said, "A flower chain of course!" She swallowed and continued, "you couldn't tell?"

D brought the canteen to his lips and took a long drink from it. "No, I can't say I know much about flowers or things that can be done with them..."

"Well..." Clove said in a drawl. "I'll have to teach you about it." The girl crawled closer to a worried looking D. "Here, you have to get two flowers with long stems and take off all its leaves... Then you go like this..." As she talked she twisted the two stems together, tying them. "Then you can just keep adding and adding..." She picked up another flower and began to add it. "See? It's easy." D just gave an unsure half grin but then his face fell when he realized that she wanted him to try. Clove took the canteen from his hands and held out two flowers to him.

D just stared at the flowers and then at the expecting face of the girl. He felt pull at his insides again as he looked into her eyes. He really, really did not want to play with flowers (left hand would never shut up about it for one...) but he didn't want to disappoint the girl. D let out a sigh and set to work. As he tried his best to tie the two stems Clove drank from the water canteen.

D's ending result was disappointing. He had tied the stem too tight, nearly popping the flower off, and when he tried to fix it he just ended up pulling of petals. Clove laughed at his work and took it from him. She quickly tied her work with D's and smiled up at him. D felt vibrations in his hand, the parasite was laughing at his attempts.

As the last rays of the sun died the crickets and animals of the night came alive. The meadow began to fill up with glowing fireflies. At the sight of them Clove jumped to her feet and ran to dance with them. D sat, back against the willow tree, with a faint smile gracing his face.

D's hand sighed, "She's a bother and she'll slow us down to no end but I have to admit, she's a cute little thing."


	3. Boyceville

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fast forward, clove has grown and the two find a new job.

Years had passed since D's flower chain lesson. In those years D and Clove had been through many hunts and the older dhampir had a good grasp of how much the little girl could handle. The hunts had all been fairly simple; cleaning out a zombie village, bring back an undead relative, etcetera. D was very thankful for these seemingly easy tasks; even though he now knew Clove could get out of a sticky situation. He had taught her to ride (even though he still had her ride with him), the art of stealth, and simple dagger moves (although he told her to never use them unless there was no other option.) She could easy escape danger and hide but D still did want the girl exposed to too much danger. Left hand often teased him saying it was 'parental love'. D would ignore this but would sometimes wonder if this was indeed true. 

Even though it took several few years to gauge the girl's durability it only took the first few weeks for D to get a good idea of her personality. She was not afraid of being left alone for periods of time, although she was always over joyed when he would come back, and actually liked riding fast. That was good because D was almost certain there would be times when he would need to push Ives's to his limits. Clove was a very upfront person, she was very curious, and willing to try anything. He was afraid that her overly trusting and kind nature would led her to trouble, but she was not by any means naive. She could never forget the fate that befell her parents and therefore she was trusting yet weary, especially of humans.

For almost a month the pair had had been wandering aimlessly with no purpose or task; it was time to find a new job...

The two were traveling through rolling plains that spanned as far as the eye could see. The setting sun dyed the plains a reddish gold. They had entered the lands of simple farmers and herdsmen, a prime cattle yard for vampires and other monsters. D was sure to find some little village that need a vampire killed. He soon did.

Ives clopped along at a lazy pace. The dying sun shone down on the worn trail and on the two riders. Clove was dozing, leaning against D's upper chest with her delicate face hidden in the folds of a cloak. She had grown over the years and now just above D's hip, which was saying something since he was so tall. Unlike D, she had on a change of clothing, partly because she was growing. D had given up on dresses for her; they always ended up hopelessly torn and dirty. He had dressed the girl in high socks, fitting shorts, a fitting white high collared shirt, and mary-janes. He as gave her a wrap around black with white lace skirt. The skirt was mostly open in the front, hence the shorts, so they didn't interfere with her movements. He really didn't really know why he gave her the skirt, maybe her wanted her to look more like more a little girl. Maybe there was something parental about that. 

 

D had an arm hung loosely around Clove as his eyes scanned the horizon, they soon met the form of a man. He was yelling and waving his arms about at the sight of D. Another man soon joined him. D gave the reins a small tug. In response Ives picked up his pace stiring up the road dust. The bumpiness woke Clove who looked up at D and then to the road ahead and the man.

D stopped his horse and looked down at the men. They were normal farmers but by the look of their desperate faces he could tell they were in need of his special set of skills. The two had set up two tents, their horses tethered to a ground pole, and by the look of it they had been waiting and watching for help for some time. One man looked older than the other, maybe around 25. He had short dirty blonde hair, an angular face, and wore a worn old cowboy hat. The two were wearing common looking clothes. The other man was not a man at all; he was a boy, a boy of maybe 15 to 17. The boy had short black hair and a youthful face. By the look of the two they might have been brother.

The older man stepped close to D's horse and tugged at his hat, "Oh, I'm sorry sir, I didn't realize you had a little girl with you, I-I thought," the man stammered out. "Well you see sir our village has been havin' a vampire problem lately, and well I thought that by the look of ya, you were a hunter for hire..."

"I am..." D responded.

The two men looked at each other. They'd never heard of a hunter with a little girl but they were desperate for help. The younger man steeped forward, "Great! Then we'd like to hire you. Me and my brother can lead you back to our town."

The two brothers climbed on to their horses and began riding down the road; they left their tents and supplies. D reasoned they must have been really in need of help to do this. D followed the two brothers down the country lane. The longer they rode the more abundant cattle became. The three horsemen crested a large hill and suddenly the whole village unfolded beneath them.

It was a simple looking place, filled with god-fearing folks by the look of it. It was named Boyceville and was a cluster of brick buildings and cattle pins. The first thing Clove noticed was the large graveyard filled with freshly turned dirt. D followed her gaze, Clove hated seeing innocent people hurt. As they navigated the town the people stepped back and gave the dhampir stares. The brothers led him straight to the town hall. It was in the center of the village right next to the center square that was shadowed in darkness thanks to the large building. The town hall was two stories tall and had a tall bell tower on it, D guessed it double as the church.

The two dhampirs dismounted their horse, as did the brothers. The younger one grabbed all of the horses' reins to put them in the stable; the other was already headed for the town hall, urging them to follow. D looked at Clove, she knew what to do. Tend to Ives and stay out of view for the time being. As Clove took off after the younger brother and Ives D followed the elder brother. The building smelt of wet cement and mold with the sun’s rays that slipped in illuminating the dust that hung in the air. The older brother led D down several halls and stopped at a closed door. He knocked and a voice answered, 'come on in.'

The man opened the door and stepped in, "Um Mayor, we've finally got a vampire hunter, come on now."

D, his large hat shielding his eyes and face from view as usual, walked in and stood facing the mayor. The mayor was a plump man. His cheeks were fat and his double chin rolled over his collar. He was a red headed man and he had muttonchops as well as a mustache that curled at its ends like some railroad villain.

The man smiled, his chubby cheeks nearly hiding his eyes, "Well good sir you arrived just in time it would seem." He got up and went to the front of his desk. "We've a bit of a vampire problem, you see this vamp has been stealing our women and children, we'd want you to go and destroy him as well as bring back any survivors..." When D said nothing to this he continued, "The villagers have scrapped together 150,000 dollars..."

D cringed internally, that was not nearly enough... he sighed. He would do it though, of course he would. Clove would never leave him alone if he turned down anyone. More so she would have this crest fallen expression on her face when he explained that they weren't going to help this village. That is something he wouldn't be able to stand, the look in her eyes when he told her... No, he couldn't face that. D inclined his head, "That is barely anything but... I'll accept..."

The mayor's face erupted in a wide smiled, "Wonderful, you'll get free lodging and stable while you stay here. Oh," with a closed hand he pointed to the brother. He took his hat off in response. "This is Jake and his little brother's name is Lawrence, I believe you already met him. The two brothers will help you with anything you need."

"That's right, we'll take you to the vamp's ruins too, but we can do that tomorrow," Jake said.

Jake said his good byes to the mayor and led D from the building to the stables. Jake had pulled his hat back on to cut off the setting sun’s glare as they crossed the square. He led D into the village's stable. It was the usual stable, straw littered and smelling of animals. It was a simple walk through stable. It really didn't have an entrance or entrance just a large open hall with stalls on each side.

Clove and Lawrence where near the other end. He was knelt down with his back to the approaching men speaking to Clove about something. D didn't like Clove fraternizing with the clients but she didn't care and he had to admit her closeness with them often came in handy. People would much rather deal with a cute little girl then a black clad pale horsemen with a big sword. Clove peeked around Lawrence and smiled at D. Lawrence turned too and stood at his brother's arrival.

He smiled at his brother, showing off his white teeth. He had a pleasant smile and D could recognize that he was man who was light hearted and a person who was easy to be around. With all of his travels and different clients he had become very good at reading people.

"Hey bro!" Lawrence yelled. He had his arms open and grasped his brother's shoulders tightly. He pulled away and looked to D and then back to his brother, "So I'm guessing our vampy problems will be over soon right?"

D kept his stone face and ignored the younger man. He moved around him and went to Ives. He jumped over the stable door, more like stepped really, and began to untie Ive's saddlebag.

Lawrence looked down at Clove with a puzzled expression, looking for an explanation. It seemed that she had explained a bit about his nature to the younger brother. Clove looked up at Lawrence and smiled, "Yes, everything will be fine now!"

The brothers exchanged glances. "Well..." Lawrence said, "I guess we should get you over to our place where you can get some rest." The pair led the way at a fast clip. D shouldered the bag and followed, Clove right at his side. 

As the sun continued to slowly slipped behind the cottages the two humans and two dhampirs entered a quaint little half-timbered house. The house opened into a large parlor like room. It was filled with an assortment of usual living room type things, couches, tables, and the like. To the right were two open doors, which D could see led to the kitchen and dining room. Stairs right next to the entrance led to a second level. D assumed that that's where the bedrooms where. It looked rather big for just the two they must have experienced this vampire problem first hand.

Lawrence stepped into the parlor and sacked out on the couch. Jake turned to D and said, "We should all go to sleep early so we can head out at dawn." He began to climb the stairs, "Come on up, I'll show you to your room." 

They scaled the creaking stairs and walked a narrow hall. There were four doors; two on each side, and one at the end of the hall, which Jake explained was the study. He led them to the last door on the right and opened it. "You all can stay here, you can just head down stairs in the morning and we'll show ya the vamp's place." With that Jake left them.

The room was small, furnished with a single bed, dresser, and a table with chairs. D dropped his bag on the table with a resounding thud and took off his cape. Clove ran to the window, the only window, and opened it. The room was stuffy and the cool night air was refreshing. Clove hung from the window, reveling in it. She soon turned away and sat herself on the bed to begin removing her shoes and socks. D didn't have an issue with sleeping with shoes on. Many humans preferred to remove them, as did Clove that was something he really didn't understand. He always thought that removing and putting your shoes was a meaningless action. D was someone who liked to cut corners and years as a hunter taught him to be prepared at all times.

D glanced at Clove. "You look wide awake for someone who slept for most of the ride..." he murmured.

Clove looked back at him and shook her head. "Well I'm not really awake," she said. "I'm actually tired... I guess talking with Lawrence woke me up for a few minutes.” She let out a yawn and crawled to the head of the bed. As she wriggled under the covers D came to sit on the bed next to her. He didn't even need to ask before Clove began. "He told me about the vampire and his family. He said that this guy likes to kidnap women and that he took his twin sister and his mother. Their dad went out to look for them along with another dozen village men and never returned."

'That's why it's only the two of them...' D reasoned. "Did he say anything else?" D asked. "About the vampire's castle?"

Clove nodded. "Yes, he said that the vampire is staying in this old abandoned ruins of a castle. He said it actually wasn't a castle, more like a fort. It's on a high cliffy hill and surrounded by a river mot. The only real way to get in is by this rickety bridge." The little girl yawned again and pulled the covers under her chin. D removed his hat and tossed it on the table. He lay down flat on the bed, staring at the ceiling. "Are you going to ask?"

D looked over at Clove. "Ask what?"

"Ask if I talked about us..." clove said quietly.

"Did you?" he asked.

"Well... yes, but not that much. I just said that you're less than friendly and to talk to me first..." When Clove had finished the two were silent a moment. "You know you can be scary to people who don't know you, people are afraid to talk to you..."

"And D cares why?" left hand spoke up. After the whole day not saying a thing he had to say something.

A smile cracked at the edge of D's lips. He guessed he should be more people friendly since he dealt with them all the time but that was Clove's job. She was good at it.

"D..." Clove's little voice piped up.

D turned his head to the girl already knowing what she wanted. He sat up, pulled the covers down, and climbed under them. Clove always asked him to do this, to sleep next to her. Maybe it was a fear deep down of things in the night, that he just comforted her in some way. Clove wriggled in close to D and was asleep in minutes. D sighed and let himself relax Clove was the only person who he could feel this relaxed with. He laid his arm around Clove and brought her in close, her heartbeat lulled him to sleep.

 

A/N – Here's the second part of the update.


	4. Doubts and Preparations

Morning introduced itself by casting beams of sunlight through the window and on to the dusty wooden boards of Clove's makeshift bedroom. When the little girl awoke she was upset to find that D wasn't with her. The hunter must have awoken at dawn and left with the brothers. Always considerate, he had closed the window and laid out a breakfast for her before departing. Granted, it was all preserved things from their saddlebag but it was good none the less. D was always thinking ahead. Clove took her time with her food. D and the two brothers would be gone for a while because knowing D he would examine the outside to an inch of death. Not that that was a bad thing. Clove finished her small breakfast, grabbed a small leather bound book, donned her cloak, and headed down the stairs.

Due to the loss of the matriarch of the family the home was more cluttered and more dusty than dirty. Clove felt a twinge of sadness for the brothers situation. She could never understand how D could not feel or show some sort of emotion to the pair or to all the other clients. Maybe it was because he had been around much longer than her. He must have seen and had many things done to him. She knew her parents suffered the fear of humans, which led to their death. This must had been only one of many injustices D had seen dealt their kind.

Their kind...

The little girl felt strange to think herself and her guardian like that but she couldn't ignore the differences between herself, humans, and vampires. Even as young as she was she could not ignore the fact that her life was truly apart from the other two species. She could never be satisfied with a 'normal' human life. Grow up, get married, have a child, and die. She couldn't settle for that and neither could D. A vampire's life was disgusting to her. Live, die, be reborn, and kill humans to survive for eternity. So she basically had to settle with killing one relative to save another. That was no life but it was the best thing D could come up with and the best she in turn could accept as her life. She had no doubt that if D could he would give her a better life then one of death and vagabond wandering.

It was strange to explain how she knew this; D never really expressed much feeling. He would give small curves of his lips and would hold her gently at times while she slept but that would be about it. The girl had learned to read the older dhampire. She could tell of his wants and intentions now but his emotions were still somewhat of a mystery.

Clove's musings took her through the house and outside into the yard. It was still somewhat early and families were just starting their morning meals. The morning air was cool and brisk causing small puffs upon exhalation. The little dhampire did not find it unpleasant, she and D often preferred cool days. The more ambitious farmers were already out and tending the land and animals. Horrors were visiting the town but life had to still roll on through the grief and fear. About 20 feet from the front door was a loosely fence empty field. Clove walked to it and slipped under the fence and sat herself down in a clump of wild daisies. 

The little girl, in times of uncertainty, if D loved her like she loved him. The girls love for D was hard to explain. He wasn't like a parent, she had had those, and she had no siblings to compare him with. Sometimes his cool mask brought a twinge of pain to her stomach, which caused doubt. Did he love her back or even care for her? He must at least care for her since he took her in and let her accompany him without complaint. These thoughts caused tears to sting Clove's eyes. She sighed and curled up, her legs to her chest, in the flowers. The grass was dewy and Clove positioned her cloak beneath her. 

Maybe he only took care of her because he thought it proper, or like some kind of job. Something he had to do and had no choice. It wasn't as though he could have dropped her off anywhere. She literally had no where to go. If he had left her she would have died or exposure and starvation, been murdered, or worse been captured like an animal. Although he wore a calm seemingly unfeeling mask, D was a man of honor so the possibility that she was a begrudgingly endured burned seemed high. 

The possibility swirled in the girl's mind and before she knew it she found her eyes over flowing with tears. She wiped at her cheeks and unfolded herself. While she had been sitting the rest of the town had awoken. Some regarded her curiously as they past by but the majority avoided her gaze. Sighing, Clove opened up the small book she had brought to try and distract herself and pass the time. After awhile, she began to doze.

"Clove..."

Clove slowly opened her eyes and shifted them up. D stood above her, his large hat shielding her from the bright sun. Clove righted herself and tried to wipe the dried tear trails the still stubbornly clung to her from her cheeks. She wondered if he would ask what was wrong, the likely hood that he wouldn't caused her tears to start a new causing her to look down at the ground.

"Clove?"

At the questioning tone in his voice Clove looked back at him. D had lowered himself so he sat on his heels. Clove felt a chill run down her spine and was instantly ashamed of it. Why did she get that chill? The girl felt a reassurance of her previously drudged up insecurities and abandoned her vain attempt to stop her tears. D fell down on his knees and reached out to Clove. He gently cupped her face and wiped at her tear trails on her cheek with his thumb.

D had no idea why the girl was crying; there was no reason that he could see for it. He hoped his presence would comfort her; it pulled at him deep down to see her cry. The last time he saw her cry like this was when he first met her. D let his hand drop from the girl's face and was silent a moment.

"Are you better now?" he asked her as he rose to stand.

Clove rose too and after taking one last swipe at her face she looked up at him with her beautiful aqua eyes. Slowly her mouth curved into a smile and she nodded. "Yes... Yes I'm all right now... " With a simple gesture and his nonjudgmental silence her fears to rest for the moment and she followed D fatefully back to the doorstep where the brothers where chatting with a villager.

At the sight of his approach Lawrence raised his arm in greeting and stepped a few strides toward him. "It seems that another villager was taken last night, a little girl," he explained.

The villager, a wiry looking, middle-aged man, looked D up and down and gave a faint nod in acknowledgment then turned back to Jake. 

"Like I was sayin'... I woke in at around 2:30 to a crash, ya know like breaking glass. Well I went to go investigate and came to my little girl Anna's room. I... I- I saw him, he was..." The man swallowed, tears coming to his eyes. "He was holding my little baby to his chest and she was all limp. He looked- he looked straight at me and smiled. He smiled and then disappeared outta the window.”

The man finished and balled his fists staring at the ground and then his eyes caught sight of Clove partly hidden behind D. "You'd better be careful..." he said looking at D. "He'll be after her soon enough too and he’ll take her from you." He pointed to Clove.

D looked down at Clove who stared up at him with her big aqua eyes, waiting for his answer. He looked back at the man and said simply, "He won't..." Clove gave him faint smile in thanks.

"Uh... um yeah... Well anyways I guess we'll have to go in tonight," Lawrence said.  
Clove glanced up at the younger brother. She was confused as to why they would go after a vampire at night. Someone forgot to tell her something.

Jake sighed. "Lawrence why don't you get our things together while I keep talking to this man..."

Lawrence frowned, it seemed he didn't like to be ordered around. Before he could get out a complaint Jake continued, "I don't have time for you complaints Lawrence just hurry up."

D glanced down at Clove, "Clove, go as well..." Clove slipped away from D and followed the disgruntled Lawrence into the house closing the door behind him.

When his brother had completely disappeared into the house he continued. Turning to the villager he said, "I'll see what I can do about your daughter, I'll look for her but I give you no promises..." The man looked down at the ground and nodded. 

D didn't need to hear anymore of this sentiment. The girl was probably already dead or turned. He left the men and headed toward the stables. Jake clasped the man's shoulders. "Go home and pray for Anna, that's all you can do now..." He gave the father an encouraging smile and sent him on his way.

Clove slung the saddlebag over her shoulder, the heavy pack knocking the wind out of her. Hunched over she trudged over to the stairs and began to descend them one at a time.

At the sound of the girl's loud descent Lawrence popped his head out of the dining room, a room the brothers had turned into a makeshift armory. He had two large bags slung over his shoulder and was holding four shot guns. 

"Aw jeez..." he said. Right there in the doorway he dropped the guns and let the bags slip from his shoulders to the floor with a dull thud. He walked to the girl and held his hands out. "Here, give me that!"

Clove let the bag slid to the steps with a similarly loud thud. Lawrence grabbed the bag and threw it on to his shoulder. Clove followed him down the remaining steps and to his bags. "But you've already got all those others bags to carry!"

"Mah!" Lawrence responded. "I just gotta carry it to the stable is all."

"Exactly, only to the stable, I could do that!"

"Nonsense," Lawrence said as he pulled the other two bags onto his shoulders, a faint groan escaped his lips in effort. "Just do me a favor and grab those guns for me and open the door, alright?"

Clove nodded and hurriedly scooped up the guns, holding them to her chest, and opened the door. D and Jake were nowhere in sight having already gone to the stable. Lawrence and Clove began to walk, the younger brother obviously having troubles with the bags.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Clove asked as she gazed up at the taller man.

Lawrence looked back at Clove and flashed her a lopesided grin. "Yeah I'm peachy! I couldn't let your little self carry this all hunched over to the stable, you'd be crippled for life!" he teased.

Clove smiled at the lighthearted man. She thought of how easily a human could forget things, just a few minutes ago he was angry and fuming at his brother but was now making jokes. Clove's mind jumped back to the plan. "Lawrence..."

"Yeah little clover?"

"Why are we going after the vampire at night, it seems pretty stupid to me," she said.

"Oh sorry, I forgot to tell ya. The drawbridge only opens at night and because the currents so strong and the rocks so slippery there's no other way to get in."

"There has to be another way," Clove stated logically.

"Yeah, if we had months to plan and a dozen strong handed men we could probably fine one but we don't have any of that stuff," Lawrence said as the two entered the stables. D and Jake were waiting, the horses already out, saddled, and ready to go.

"Took ya long enough little brother," Jake said emphasizing the word little.

Lawrence rolled his eyes and let the bags drop from his shoulder. "Yeah, yeah..." He lifted the dhampire’s bag from his shoulders and as gently as possible laid it on Ives's back, he didn't want to piss off D by being too rough with his horse. He then bent down and took the guns from Clove’s arms and began to fit them into shotgun holsters that the brothers had rigged up to their horses' saddles. After a few moments of buckling the four were ready to go.

"Alright, by the time we get back to the fort the bridge should just be lower. Let’s go!" Jake called and spurred his horse. The three horses took off at a fast clip, not full sped but nowhere near a trot. They rode on a grassy trail that seemed to be fairly unused. More akin to a deer path then a horse trail. The three horses ran for an hour or more on the deer trail before the ruins came into view. It was just as the brothers had described to Clove. It was at a place where the plains began to give way to forest and was seated on a high cliff.

The horses slowed and stopped at the edge of the drop off and the four dismounted. Clove walked over to the edge, the gap was at least 45 feet long and the river below it was truly violent. D came to stand at her side, behind them the brothers hastily checked their gear for night was fast approaching. D held out a short dagger to Clove who accepted it wordlessly.

"Never use it unless-"

"I have to, I know," Clove finished. She stuck the knife into the hem of her skirt and looked up at D. "D how do you feel about this one?"

D was silent a moment then said, "The same about every other one..." D glanced back at the brothers then down to Clove. "Their sister and mother are dead as are the others... Even after we kill this vampire they won't have closure..."

Clove looked to the ground her shoulders falling. She felt bad for the brothers but there was nothing she could do about it. She left D's side and walked back to Ives. She stroked the midnight black horse's muzzle. She hated having to wait.


	5. The Basement's Secret

As soon as the last ray of sun disappeared the rusty iron chains holding the bridge began to clatter and the bridge began to come down. It wobbled as it descended and shuddered as it came to rest against the opposite edge. It was made of stone and wide enough for two horses, although it looked very fragile. As soon as the bridge touched the edge Jake was off with his younger brother right at his heel. D watched from his perch on a boulder as the two thundered a crossed the bridge.

"Quite anxious to die, eh?" D's hand said, scoffing at the brothers. "They hire you but rush off before you can! Not that that's bad. A human is always good to use as a shield."

"That's not nice, they're just concerned for their mother and sister..." Clove said softly from her spot by Ives. She nuzzled the dark horse as she spoke. The young dhamphir had an uneasy feeling about this. She had no idea why but she was worried.

"Yeah, a mother and sister who are dead!" D's hand spat out. "Humans are so pathetic, those two know that they're dead but still risk their lives to drag out the stiff corpses."

"You just don't understand. A human’s life is so short... It just means more to them than it does to you..." Clove said quietly.

All Clove got in response from the parasite was a hmp.

"I think for humans they have more of a grasp on righteousness," Clove continued. "It's because of their short lives..."

D looked thoughtfully at the little girl. She may be young but she had a better understanding of humans then he did. Maybe it was because she was young that she understood them so. "They feel their morality pressing on them..." D said adding his musing to the mix, "That's why those bodies mean so much... Their time on this earth is so short to begin with, they do not feel need for it to be ended for them." Stepping down from the boulder he closed the subject by addressing Clove. "Wait for 20 minutes and then take Ives into the castle with you. Pick up any injured and leave." Once he had gotten a confirming nod from Clove he stepped onto the bridge and ran swiftly after the brothers.

Clove watched D disappear into the castle, his cape flying behind him. She let out a sigh and plopped down on to the ground. More waiting.

-

D slowed his steps as he crossed the thresh hold into the ruin of a castle. The brothers stood waiting for him. It seemed contrary to the parasite's ravings they had some sense. Before them were two wide stone staircases with a wooden door between them. Open stone archways lined the walls. As D walked toward the two he glanced into them. Just empty rooms with broken down wooded doors.

"Through that door," D said, walking toward the door between the stairs.

"How'd ya know that?" Lawrence asked shoulder his shot gun and walking after the hunter his brother followed with his gun at the ready.

"Because for one the door looks new," Jake said a bit annoyed with his little brother. "And two the whole place is roofless so there'd be no sense for a vamp to be living up there with the sunshine."

Lawrence's cheeks got hot, "I knew that..." he mumbled.

D grasped the brass doorknob and was surprised that it was unlocked. The doors hinges squealed as D opened it revealing a long stone spiral staircase descending into the ground.  
"That stupid bastard is so cocky he didn't even lock the goddamn door..." Jake growled out.

Slowly the three descended, the smell of wet earth increasing with every step. When they finally came to the basement all were shocked by what they saw. The basement was a long rectangular room filled with columns and a dirt floor and chained to the columns were the women and girls of the village.

"Ma!" Lawrence yelled out. He and his brother rushed past D to their mother's side. D glanced around as he walked through the room. The women were all dirty and ragged looking; this vampire was starting a harem. At the sight of the three men they all began to moan out and call for help. They're pitiful cries and jostling of their chains filled the room. Almost everyone woman had a pale looking face and bite wounds on their neck. They were all near death but none of them had been turned into a vampire or a zombie. Zombie arose from the kills of a vampire.

"Oh... my boys... my boys," The mother breathed out. She had dull blonde hair and still wore her cooking apron. Jake buried his face in his mother's chest with Lawrence kneeling at her side, both were crying.

Lawrence quickly stood up and glanced around. His eyes stopped on a nearby column and he ran to another woman, his sister. "Lilly!" he yelled sliding to a stop in front of her. She had black hair like her twin and the same face as well. She sobbed, "Please Lawrence... please get us out..."

D continued passed the reunited family to the end of the room and to a door there. Jake glanced up at the hunter as he pass and saw his destination. He pulled himself from his mother and stood up.

"I'll be back mom, Lily, "He said as he jogged to catch up with D. "Lawrence you unchain all these girls and get outta here, I'll gonna look for the vampire."

Lawrence gave his brother a nod and got to his feet. He pulled his gun from its hoister and pointed at the lock of his sister's chains. "You'd better hurry because this is gonna wake the guy up." With that he pulled the trigger. The gun went off and shattered the lock, the bang echoing of the walls.

Like before the door wasn't locked so D just walked right in. Jake hesitated a bit, looking back at his brother and now rising sister before following him. The two walked down a long narrow hallway. It was completely pitch back and smelt of mildew. As he walked farther into the darkness Jake's breath began to quicken, his palms to sweat, and the hair on the back of his neck to stand up. The two continued on in silence, only the sound of their footsteps to comfort them. D's eyes made out a second door. Slowly he drew his sword, the hiss of it sliding from its sheath caused his human companion to grasp his shotgun even tighter. D reached out and grasped the knob...

-

Clove climbed onto Ives's back and tugged at his reins. She had waited long enough. Quickly Ives galloped over the bridge and into the castle. As she crossed the threshold she was shocked to find Lawrence coming toward her with a woman on each side of him. She pulled Ives' reins hard to stop him from trampling the three.

"Clove!" Lawrence yelled out.

Her hard pull caused Ives's to winy and rear up on his back legs. Clove quickly brought him to the ground and reached out to pat his muzzle in order to calm him.

"Clove thank god, they're alive!" Lawrence yelled.

Clove looked down at the two women at his side, this mother and sister. Lawrence reached around to his back and pulled out another pistol. He held it out to her. "Here take this and start shooting locks!" Clove took the pistol and dismounted. As soon as she hit the ground she was off down the stairs. She began to blast locks off and was soon joined again by Lawrence. Just as she was about to help a weakly woman to her feet the room shook and a cloud of dust blew out from the hallway in which D and Jake had gone.

Lawrence ran to the door and down the hallway. Clove left the woman for a healthier woman to help and took off after him. There had been a collapse in a room at the end of the hallway. Moonlight streamed in through the now collapsed room. It seemed the room was the basement to a tower. Clove stared up through the wreckage. Some lingering logs were laid a crossed the circular tower helping to cast eerie shadows on the wreckage below. In the blink of an eye two figures came together in the air and the clank of metal sounded down to her. For a moment Clove could see D and his sword locked with the vampire before they pushed off and began to leap among the timbers, clasping occasionally.

A cry from Lawrence caught her attention and she turned to him. Lawrence knelt at his brother's side. Jake had a blank stare, blood dribbling from his mouth. He was dead, crushed by falling rocks. Clove felt the sting of tears at her eyes but composed herself. She went to his side and pulled on his arm. He didn't budge, tears running down his face.

"Lawrence please, we need to go," she pleaded. "You can't help him now but you can help those women. We have to get them out before that vampire finds out."

Lawrence looked up at her with his tear-streaked face. His lips quivered but he slowly stopped them and nodded solemnly to her. The two rushed back to the make-shift prison, Clove silently praying for no more dead tonight.

-

D landed crouched on the remains of a rampart letting his sword finish its swing. His blade shone in the moonlight. D slowly rose to his feet and scanned the ruins for the vampire. His attention was drawn by the sound of horse hooves. He looked toward the sound and saw that it was Lawrence leading the women to safety. His brow furrowed and he wondered where Clove and Ives were.  
In his moment of thought the vampire sprang forward, catching him off guard. D's head turned just in time to see the vampire charge into him. The air was knocked right out of the dhamphir and he felt himself fall back. Unfortunately the only thing behind him was the broken down wall and he tripped over it, which caused him to completely flip over and tumble to the river below. Amidst the vampire's laughter D twisted his body and reached out for something to stop his descent.

His grasping had caught the remains of stone waterspout. Using the momentum he got from his fall he swung himself up and through a gap in the wall. D came to a gracefully landing on a creaking wooden floor. At the edge of his vision he saw a blur of black heading toward him. The high crack of metal echoed off the remaining walls.

The vampire stared down at D, his blonde hair coming loose from his ponytail and falling into his face and his burning green eyes shining. His metal formed arm the only thing stopping D from cutting of his head. From their stalemate the bridge was clearly visible.

"It looks like your harem is running away..." D's monotone voice said.

The vampire growled his brows furrowed in anger. "So it would seem..." He said. With a roar he pushed off from D springing up into the air, the tails of his coat flying around him, to sit on the stone remains of the next level. He looked down at the bridge. He saw a black stallion and its rider running acrossed it, he knew the girl rider wasn't human right away and flashed a grin. "Pretty little girls become beautiful women and one pretty little dhamphir girl would make up for losing all of them."

D's lip began to curl up and he could feel the anger rising within him. His grip on his sword tightened which caused the vampire to laugh out. In the blink of an eye he had launched himself off the building and was free falling toward Clove. D dashed over the edge as well the wind rushing past his ears and a fear he'd never known before filling him. As he came to a hard landing the vampire was lifting Clove from her seat on Ives. Clove let out a startled shriek, she hadn't even seen him coming. The vampire held her tightly to his chest.

D leap into the air and swung his sword a crossed the vampire's back and reached out to grasp the end tails of his cloak. As he came back down to the bridge he yanked on the cloak hard and brought the vampire against the stone with a loud smack. D brought his sword down and pierced the vampire's shoulder, pinning him to the bridge. The dhamphir reached down and wrapped an arm around Clove's waist. With a quick yank she was free and clinging to him.

The vampire let out a yell of frustration and pulled himself up, sword and all. When he turned to face D the dhamphir grabbed the sword's hilt and pulled it hard to the right. The vampire held on to the sword and went with it. D gave a quick yank and the sword tore from the vampire's hands and shoulder. He brought his sword back and swung it toward the vampire's head. The vampire held up his steal arm to block the potentially decapitating blow.

This angered D to no end. This vampire had tried to take Clove, had had his hands on her, and now was not dying. D let out a yell himself and with all of his strength behind it he continued to push the sword. The vampire was pushed back and into the side of the bridge. He flayed his arms trying to grasp on something and fell over the edge. D with Clove held close to his chest looked over the edge just in time to see the vampire disappear into the raging river.

D sighed in relief and sheaved his sword. He slowly came to sit down, his back against the edge of the bridge and Clove curled up her head tucked into her knees at his side. Her shoulders were pulled in tight and she sobbed quietly. D gently stroked her cheek, "Clove..."

At his gentle touch Clove turned and buried her face in his lower chest. D pulled the crying girl into her lap and held her tightly. He let out a breath of relief and laid his head on hers. D had never felt fear like that before. It wasn't the fear of death or that unavoidable fear you get when you know you're about to be hit by an attacker. It was the fear of losing someone, of losing Clove. After a moment D rose again bring Clove up in his arms as he did so. He placed her on Ives's and mounted behind her. Like always his arm was around her waist but this time she held on to it. Ives slowly clopped down the bridge and to Lawrence. D continued Ives on past the group of women and into the field, not the deer path.

"Hey!" Lawrence called. "Wait don't you want your money!"

D stopped Ives and without glancing back he said, "Keep it." Leaving the villagers with his last words to them he drove Ives to a gallop a crossed the field. Lawrence watched with his mother and sister at his side as the two dhamphirs disappeared down a hill.


	6. Goodbye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> D is forced to consider the future.

D rode Ives through the rest of the night and into the next without stopping. The events that occurred in the small farming town clung to him and the dhampire wanted to put as much space between Clove and the fort as Ives could bear. The pair were wordless as the midnight steed tore down the dirt lanes. D still held the girl secure with his forearm and she in turn clung on tightly. 

As the sun began to sink on the second day Ives began to fail. His pace began to slow, his mouth foamed, and his breath was ragged. Cyber horse though he was the strain of D's nonstop pace had finally become too much. The area was non idea for bedding down. The plains were still wide and expansive and overgrown with bramble bushes and wild grape vines. Giving the horse a small kick D guided them off the road toward the only landmark, a large oak tree. The hunter let out a breath he didn't know he had been hold as he dismounted the spent beast. With the distance the distance they had made he felt as though a pressure had lifted. As soon as D turned to face her Clove latched her arms around his neck and let the tall dhampire slid her out of the saddle. He sat her down in his lap next with his back propped up against the knotty bark.

The silence from their ride continued as D simply cradled the girl to his chest. Clove's shoulder were drawn together and her muscles tense. She laid her face on his collarbone; her small breathe warming his neck. 

"It's alright now... I'm right here and we're far from that place." He said quietly.

Clove let her hands slip from D's neck to rest on his chest in front of her face. She sniffled a bit then asked in a quiet small voice, "Were you as scared as I was D?"

D brushed Clove's blonde locks from her face tenderly. "Yes, Yes I was..." He admitted to the little girl. He sighed adjusted his position against the rough bark. "I was more afraid then I have been in a long time..." Clove reached next to D and tugged his cape over herself. She was without hers. D hadn't noticed it but she must have lost it when that vampire attacked her.

Clove tucked the black cloth underneath her chin and tilted her head up. D looked down at her and for a moment they simply gazed at each other. Clove lips curved up into a smile. "That's good..."

D's brows furrowed in confusion. "Why is that good?"

Clove let out a yawn and settled in against him. "It's good because it shows you have feelings." She paused for a moment. "I was beginning to worry..." D looked down at the girl thoughtfully before shifting his gaze to look out a crossed the field in which they sat. "I'd rather you be more human then vampire any day..." she said quietly. Clove adjusted her head and fell asleep.

D continued to gaze at the field watching the fireflies emerge from the tall grass. It seemed just yesterday that the child sleeping in his lap had danced with the fluttering insects. So quickly time had passed, so quickly his time with her could end. D began to realize how much time he had wasted, how much time he could have spent holding her or simply watching her. The recent threat on the girl's life had startled and hit him deeply. It made him want to give up hunting and simple wander with her for eternity. Something he couldn't do... He had to hunt his relatives and their creations as he continued to chase after him . Clove understood. If he gave up his crusade because of her she would never forgive him and would never allow herself to be happy. Or worse she'd charged head long in to some sort of danger she couldn't handle.

That train of thinking brought D to a difficult truth; there would be far more dangerous missions. This one wasn't even that dangerous. The objective was easy and the vampire had been weak. More deadly hunts awaited and that caused the hunter to worry. He knew that as time went on and more missions came there was more and more of a risk that Clove could be hurt, killed, or even kidnapped. Dhampires in general were rare but a female was almost unheard of.

"Oh knock it off dhampire..." called out D's hand, its voice muffled because D had tangled it into Clove's skirt without realizing it. "I know what you think and it's driving me nuts! You mumble about not relishing the moment with this little clover and now all you're doing is worrying. Live in the moment dhampire. Relax for once and go to sleep!"

D was silent for a moment thinking over the parasite's words then replied, "For once in your existence I agree with you..." He pulled his hand down low and his cloak in tighter before following clove into slumber.

 

Clove stood up and wiped the crumbs of bread from her dress. Usually, she was a neat eater but she hadn't eaten and two days and didn't care for manners in her hunger. D pulled himself on to Ives and looked back at her holding his hand out to her.

Clove popped a grape into her mouth and began to walk toward him. "Is it alright if I walk for a bit? We don't have anything to do just yet and there are plenty of grapes and berries growing around to keep us feed. Besides, Ives could use more time to recover. We ran him kind of hard.”

D retracted his hand and gave her the incline of her head. Maybe this was a chance for him to give in to his desire to simple enjoy the girl's company. So the pair set off, with no road in sight and simply walked aimlessly through the tall grasses. The sun was hot, the sky cloudless, and the air humid. Clove led the way. She was quickly becoming her old self; the talk with him last night must have rested any fears she held. Clove walked a few steps ahead of Ives and D picking flowers and popping berries into her mouth. Occasionally she would feed some berries, and flowers too, to Ives. Ives seemed to enjoy this immensely. As the day dragged on Clove's led seemed to weaken and by noon she was even with D. Clove's flower picking had stopped and she suddenly seemed to have trouble keeping up. D was alarmed in her rapid decline, could she?

D brought Ives to a stop and looked down at Clove. She seemed to have trouble breathing, her breaths being loud and labored. "Clove are you-?" Before he could finish his question Clove began to swoon and collapsed on the ground. D was immediately at her side. He knelt down and pulled her up to him. She had passed out. Her face was flushed and she was covered in a cold sweat. There was no need to say it, heat syndrome. How stupid, he'd let her walk under the burning sun with no cloak to cover her all of today and uncovered for a two day ride. Unlike himself Clove loved the sun, although she was more susceptible to it then he was. He'd given in to her request and it cost the girl her first heat stroke and in the middle of a great plain where trees were scarce. 

D removed his cloak and wrapped the little girl in it. He remounted Ives and with Clove held close to him he began looking for shade. A short ride and few hills away D found a small thicket of birch trees. He dismounted and gently laid Clove down in the shade. D unhooked his sheaf from its belt and began to dig. Apparently left hand thought this an opportune moment to bitch at him.

"You moron! You absolutely stupid dhampire! How could you let this happen?!" it hissed at him.

D felt more emotional then he'd ever been. He was angry with himself, worried for Clove, and he had an overwhelming feeling of rush. The dhampire had himself had similar instances of heat syndrome come upon him suddenly but this was different. Clove was counting on him to help her and to guide her into understanding what it was to be what they where, Dhampires. And he had failed. He needed to dig this shallow grave as soon as possible. 

Normally, D would have ignored the parasite's ranting but not this time. "Shut up..." he replied through clenched teeth.

"Shut up? SHUT UP!" The parasite screamed. "Look what you've done to the little clover! You-"D had had enough. He balled up his left hand, digging his nails painfully into his palm. D took a deep breath and continued to dig. In around a half an hour he had a shallow hole dug that was just big enough to bury Clove. D gently re-wrapped Clove in his cloak and laid her in the hole. He slowly began to pile dirt over her. After he had finished he sat with his back against a tree.

For a while he simply sat there with her contemplating the situation as a terrible guilt hung over him. Everything that had befallen the lovely little girl was his fault, the recent attack on her by that vampire and her sickness. More and worse things awaited her at his side. 

He'd taken her in so he could take care of her, so she could learn to be able watch out for herself. He'd taught her to fight off any unwanted company and to fetch a living for herself. Wasn't that what he had set out to do? Hadn't he done that? Yes, he'd taught her what she needed to learn, he'd taught her things she could only learn from one of her own kind. Wouldn't it be safer for her now to be on her own? D had acquired a large sum of enemies and bitterness from left over vampire covens over the years, which would put her in avoidable danger. Yes, quite avoidable...

D looked down Clove's sleeping face. He felt a sadness he'd never known before when he came to a terrible conclusion. He'd have to leave her for her own safety. D gently stroked Clove's porcelain cheek. His eyes began to sting and before he realized it a tear slid down his cheek.

"Please... Please don't hate me for this..." he whispered to the sleeping girl. "I'm doing this for your own good..." D leaned over and placed a kiss on her forehead. Using all of his willpower he forced himself to rise. He picked up his sword from where it lay discarded on the ground and tethered Ives's reins to a low hanging branch. He cast one last longing look at Clove and began to walk. His chest burnt with a hot pain he'd never experienced before. As he walked on he fought the urge to look back. If he did that he knew he would go running back.


	7. Bittersweet but mostly bitter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clove has grown up and remembers an event that changed her life.

The young woman clung tightly to her rescuer's waist for fear that the bouncing of the horse's run would throw her. Her blonde hair and white with pink flowered embroided dress streamed out behind her as they pounded down the trail. For the whole ride she'd pressed her face into the rider's back, too afraid to look back but the loud crashing and horrendous cry was too much for her curiosity. She swallowed and slowly turned to look back. What she saw caused the blood to drain from her face and she let loose a scream of pure horror. Flying toward them was the demon with outspread wings, its long reptile-like tail whipping around in the wind. It was as black as night with red lines curling all over its body forming fantastic patterns. Long black horns came from its forehead and curved back around its pointed ears. Its large tooth filled mouth was agape and from it issued horrid blood curdling shrieks.

This demon had stolen her fiancée's face and played his part. It had sucked her loves soul right out of his body and had worn it like a suit to get to her. Tears burned in the girl's bright blue eyes in remembrance and before long she was sobbing. Her eyes so blurred with tears she couldn't see the demon rushing toward them anymore.

The rider twisted back in the saddle and a silver flash crossed in front of the girl's eyes followed by a loud bone-crunching crack. A horrendous scream spilled from the demon's mouth as well as black blood, a dagger stuck out from between the monster's eyes. It stopped its assault and began to wriggle on the ground, clawing at the dagger and shrieking all the while. The horse came to an abrupt stop and the rider's hands went to hers to attempt to dislodge them.

The girl squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. "No, I don't want you to leave me! Not now!" she said is a tear strained voice.

Her rescuer twisted back in their seat and gave her a gentle smile, a smile that seemed very out of place at a time like this. Their eyes were hidden from view by a worn brown cowboy hat but the girl was sure they held the kindest look.

"Hush Melina..." her savior said in a beautiful peaceful voice. "It's ok now; I just need to kill it. Kill it so it can never ruin another life again..." Calmness came over Melina and she let her grip fall from her rescuer's waist.

Immediately the rider sprang from the horse and ran toward the wriggling demon, pulling a curved saber out of its sheath at her hip. Melina watched the rider rush toward the demon but quickly faced forward as the saber was arched up, heading for the demon's neck. The shrieking stopped.

Clove wiped her blade on the demon's lifeless body and placed it back in its sheath. She let out a sigh of relief and wiped her brow of its perspiration. Hot steaming blood pumped from the severed neck and began to pool around Clove's boots. With a look of disgust she lifted her feet and turned away from the behead demon, walking back to Melina. The girl sat, shaking with fear and shock, still in her blood stained wedding dress. Clove reached up and laid her hand atop hers. Melina jumped a bit at her touch but didn't pull away and slowly turned to look into Clove's eyes.

Clove offered up a comforting smile. "It's fine now, it's over. I'll take you back to your family now..." she said. The girl sniffled and nodded in acknowledgment. 

Clove rode Melina home to her waiting parents and older brother. Tears flowed from all parties at the sight of their little girl. The dhampire watched from under the brim of her hat, a twinge of sadness hit her as it all ways did when she had in endure watching these tear filled reunions. She longed for someone to love her like that... She wanted a family more than anything, the one thing she could never attain she wanted above all others.

Clove sighed walked back to her horse, Ives. Not the original of course, he'd died several horses ago. Five horse ago to be exact. Ives the 6th was just like all his predecessors, midnight black coat with curvy horns. And like all the others he loved his mistress. The dhampire had a way with animals it would seem. Her horse gave his slightly depressed mistress and gentle nuzzle with his velvet muzzle. Clove gave on last look at the happy family and lazily mounted Ives. She gave him a quick tug of the reins and he obediently turned to leave.

"Hey! Hey Miss!"

Clove stopped Ives and glanced back. The father had approached her, a bag in hand. He opened his mouth to speak but Clove cut him off. "Keep you money, I don't need it..." The man slowly closed his mouth and gave her a genuinely thankful smile, his eyes shining with tears. If she had taken her pay she would've doomed the small family to poverty.

"Thank you..." he said simply.

Clove touched her hat to him and swiftly rode off. The cool forest scenery rode by as Clove and Ives sped past. Since that day – that day – the day which clove didn't want to name... She had matured into a beautiful woman. Her thick full hair had grown to her waist, and her pale skin had now taken a gorgeous complexion. It was milky soft and was almost luminescent. Her lips held a pale pink color and her eyes were just as enchanting. They were an aqua blue and were deep, endless almost and so expressive. Of course with her bodily change came a wardrobe change too. 

She never went back to wearing dresses nor did she abandon wraps. Clove had settled with a strange combination of clothing. She wore a short black, Chinese-like cocktail dress with long white sleeves and a high gold trimmed collar. Around her waist she had a gold colored shawl that tied in the front, letting the long ends to hang as to drastically lower the risk of some lucky monster getting a look under her dress. Of course since she was so susceptible to the sun she wore high white leggings held up but a high guarder belt to insure they didn't slip. To top her assemble off she wore a pair of high form fitting black boots with knee guards. She'd lost her love of cloaks long ago and now used her long hair and a worn brown cowboy hat to shield herself from the sun.

After riding a ways Clove coasted Ives off the road and into a small meadow. Leaving Ives to eat to his heart’s content Cloves sat down in the grass with her back against a small tree. She plucked a white daisy and twirled it between her thumb and middle finger absent-mindedly, allowing her thoughts to wander. Why could she not forget him? WHY could she not forget that horrible man? Tears stun at her eyes but she stubbornly refused them to fall. She wasn't going to cry over him, she'd promised herself that a long time ago.

 

The wind blew through the field wiping up the glass around a solitary horse tethered to a tree. Having gotten bored of eating Ives (the first) clopped over to a blonde covered head sticking from the freshly turned ground. The horse gave the girl and nudge with his muzzle. The girl grimaced but didn't wake. Annoyed with her seeming laziness Ives tried again but this time added a long slippery tongue a crossed the girl's pale cheek.

 

Clove scrunched her face together and opened her eyes. Slowly Ives's face came into focus. "Ives..." she said quietly. The disoriented girl tried to reach up and pet the dark horse's muzzle but suddenly realized she couldn't. She looked down at herself and was a bit surprised to find that she was covered in earth. Clove twisted her head as best she could look for someone.

 

"D? D?" Clove felt a bit of panic rise in her. Where would D have gone? It's not like they needed supplies and even if they did he would have told her so. Clove began to wiggle and soon was free of her earthen blanket. She was again surprised to find D's cloak wrapped around herself. Holding the black garment to herself she stood up and turned in a circle surveying the field. What was going on? Feeling overwhelmed and about it cry Clove walked to Ives and nuzzled his velvet nose.  
"It's ok... D will come back... I just need to wait a bit..." Clove said to Ives. She was suddenly hit with a horrible hunger pain. Clutching her stomach she rummaged through the saddlebag, retrieved some food, and sat back against the tree. Again she said, "He'll come back." She smiled up at Ives. "He'd never leave me..."

Three days later Clove still remained against the tree just like before except this time she was sobbing, sobbing loud chocking sobs. Suddenly something clicked and Clove stopped. Realization hit her. D wasn't coming back, he'd left her... He'd left her all alone. She sniffled and wiped her face with the back of her sleeve. Clove climbed to her wobbly feet, letting D's cloak fall to the ground, and pulled herself on to Ives's back. She rode Ives's to the top of a hill and stopped to look back at the tree, the place where she had been left all alone again. 

Her parents didn't have a choice. The villagers had taken them from her. D had a choice and he had made it. He'd decided she was too much trouble, an inconvenience and he'd left her. Clove held her head up high and stared down at the empty field. "No more tears, no more tears for you because I know you shed none for me..."

Something changed in the girl that day. She was still kind as she always was but... she was reserved in her dealing out of trust. And her eyes never again held the joy that they did when she was with him... How could they? He'd broken her heart and left her with a gaping wound she could never really close.

 

 

Clove let the flower fall from her hand. She settled herself more comfortably against the tree and tipped her hat forward to cover her face.

"No more tears..."


	8. Welcome Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clove finds herself in a familiar place with familiar people.

The sun rose almost lazily; bringing with it a buzzing sticky humidity. Clove was already mounted and ready to go at its first gleam. The pair rode for three days straight at a lazily and laid back pace. As they followed the damp packed earth trail the cliff filled forest slowly gave way to endless rolling plains. A faint breeze blew the stale humid air around but Clove shivered nonetheless. This place was familiar; she knew it far too well. The beautiful rolling grasses brought up painful and angering memories.

Clove thought for a brief moment of turning tail and avoiding the plains all together but mentally slapped her self. She was being silly. It had been decades since that day; there was nothing to worry about. Clove sighed at herself for being so chicken for no real reason and spurred Ives on. The past couldn't hurt her but she still wanted to be rid of this place as soon as possible.

She had actually run into D one time before... well she saw him from behind at a distance, and she'd never forget. She was riding through the forest highlands on a high winding mountain trail when she looked down at the canyon below and saw him. He was riding slowly a crossed a bridge with a middle aged man and young boy walking just behind him; some retrieval mission it seemed. Clove had frozen in her seat, a coldness seeping into her skin. She had tried to convince herself that it wasn't him but that hat was a dead giveaway. Clove knew he didn't see her but she was still horribly afraid and confused. Confused at her own reaction to him. Once she'd snapped back to reality she bolted out of there as fast as Ives would carry her and didn't stop until he was ragged and panting for breath. Looking back she was a little embarrassed at her behavior, her irrational fear that is. Clove silently chided herself for letting her mind wander on this circle of thought again. Thinking of him did no good at all.

Clove rode on through the day and stopped under a lone tree to sleep before continuing on. It was another day before she encountered an actual travel worn road. She continued on this road until at sundown she topped a hill and met a familiar town and an old sign. 'wel...ome ...o Bo..evi...le!' the sign proclaimed in peeling yellow paint. Clove guided Ives through the town's eerily abandoned streets to another familiar site. Unlike D, Clove actually liked to keep up with 'rescuies' and preferred to stay with them in their house to a hotel if they'd have her, which they usually did. Clove dismounted and tethered Ives to a nearby fence post then knocked on the door. There was a silence before the approach of footsteps was heard. Lock after lock was clicked out of place and slowly the door opened a young boy's face peeping through the crack.

Clove waited a moment but when it was clear that the boy wasn't going to start the conversation she decided to. "Hello, does a man named Lawrence still live here?"

The boy's mouth dropped and he nodded vigorously. "Yeah, yeah he does. He's my grand pappy but I don't know you."

Clove offered the boy a slight smile. "I knew him when he was very young, would you please just fetch him for me?"

He stood for a moment in indecision then nodded and shut to door. The sound of his rushed footfalls could be heard and Clove waited patiently. Soon the approach of a sloping footfall was heard and slowly the door opened again. An old gray haired old man with half framed glasses peered from behind the door.

"Hi Lawrence... Do you remember me?"

The man looked Clove up and down, his face screwed up trying to remember.

Clove sighed. "I'll forgive you for not remembering, I was very young then..."

At this hint, the old man's face lit up with astonishment. "Clove? Little Clove?"

"I'm not very little anymore..." Clove replied in a mirth filled tone.

Lawrence face erupted in a bright smile that showcased the deeply worn laugh lines on his face and moved aside. "Please come in, come in!" Clove smiled and stepped inside.

The lines of his aged face spoke of good times following his brother's death at the old fort. Upon entering Lawrence quickly went back to locking the door up tight. The house looked much the same except new furniture was present and in a different arrangement. Also the wood looked darker and older than before. The little boy stood in the center of the living room with his head tilted down looking with shy eyes upon Clove. He had messy sandy blonde hair a sprinkling of freckles. The boy must have been only 10 or 12, the age that Clove was when she was here last. He was actually quite a cute little thing looking up at her from beneath brown bangs. Clove gave him another smiled then turned to Lawrence as he approached.

"And who is this little one?" she asked.

Lawrence stood beside Clove and beamed with pride. "That be my one and only grandson David. He lives with me now... just the two of us." That last statement was said with a bit of sadness.

"I'm guessing that something has arisen in this town again..." Clove stated from beneath her hat brim.

Lawrence loped over to an armchair and plopped down into it. At least 50 years must have passed by the looks of Lawrence. It made Clove sad to see things like this. Humans were slaves to their morality; while 50 years was just a drop in the bucket to Clove it was just about filling the brim for most humans.

"Yes, please Clove sit down..." Lawrence said pointing to a new looking couch. Clove did so and was soon joined by David, although he was still wary of her and sat at the far end of the couch.

"Things have slowly gotten worse here," Lawrence said, his voice seeming weary. "But before I go into that would mind if I asked you something?"

"Shoot."

"If it's not too much to ask where did D go? When you left you two were together. Did something happen?"

Clove sighed; she could have figured that was coming. "Yes... We've... gone our separate ways..." She said evasively.

Lawrence had grown wise in his years and decided not to press the subject. "Well... As I was going to say, things have gotten very bad here. It seems another vampire has moved into the fort." He took a breath and continued. "I actually think it to be the same one from years ago... only this time he's more vicious than ever before."

Clove wasn't sure how to feel about this. He was a relatively weak vampire, although that was a long time ago, and seemed to be interested in her as a girl. Now she was a woman and that worried her a bit. If he caught her he most likely wouldn't kill her, he'd put her into his harem. She didn't want to think about what would happen then. "Are you sure it's him?"

Lawrence nodded. "Pretty sure. Women have been disappearing and men are being killed along with our older women. My sister and brother in law among the elderly killed and... my daughter and son in law too. My little girl disappeared but her husband..."

Lawrence glanced at David. The little boy had his head bowed and his hand clasped on his knees. Lawrence looked up at clove. The memory of finding his son in law flowing emotions across his face. He looked down and gave his head a shake clearing the horror before continuing on. "If you remember before he never left bodies around and only killed men when they went after him. Not this time. He kills, or more like tears apart, every male and older woman in a home and steals the women and girls."

"Sounds like him..." Clove said quietly. The three sat a moment then suddenly Clove rose and walked the length of the floor, hands clasp behind her back. "Are you sure he's in the fort?"

"Yes, he's been sighted coming in and out of it,” Lawrence replied.

Clove's head turned to Lawrence, her eyes still hidden beneath her hat. "Who's the one hiring?"

Lawrence's eyebrows furrowed. "Hm?"

"Who do I need to speak to in order to get this job all straighten out?" Clove asked speaking slowly.

"Oh, just speak to me. I'm the mayor now. The town has gotten together a quarter of a million."

"That's a lot for a poor farming town..." Clove stated simply.

Lawrence nodded slowly and looked Clove in the eyes. The emotion of memory once again sweeping briefly across his aged face. “Yes but this is a serious problem..."

Clove's hidden eyes lingered on Lawrence for a moment then she slowly headed for a door.

A small sound of shock escaped little David's mouth at her seeming indifference. "Ah, Clove?" Lawrence leaned out of his chair. "Where are you going? Do you accept?"

Clove glanced back at him. "I'm going to the fort, if I remember correctly the fort's bridge only comes down at night so I'd best hurry..."

Lawrence's face broke out in a grateful smile. "Thanks Clove, and please be careful..."

Clove nodded in appreciation of his kind words and left the house. The sun's descent had brought an unsettling silence and coolness to the land. With her eyes scanning the empty town lanes Clove mounted Ives and lead him down the deer trail, which was amazingly still there. It seemed deer were slaves to tradition. The two rode at a fast race pace and unlike last time were there in around 45 minutes.

The place was more pathetic than ever, not even resembling a fort anymore. It just looked like a stone heap. Time and the past battle had taken it's toll. The quarter moon hung lazily in the clear sky just above the trash heap casting strange and eerie shadows. A sound seeped into the air, a faint scream? Clove couldn't be sure. She trotted Ives a crossed the bridge and quickly dismounted upon crossing the archway.

"EHHHHAY!"

This time it could not be mistaken, a blood curdling scream echoed up the staircase and to Clove's ear and traveled down her spine. Unsheathing her sword Clove quickly descended the stairs. Mildew and wet earth wafted up to her nose as well as an unnatural, unsettling one; rotting flesh.

Her feet hit the dirt floor and she was greeted with a more unsettling sight than before. As before, there were woman chained to the columns only this time there were bodies of men and elderly woman piled all over the dank room. Congealed blood pooled on the dirt and bloated organs seeped out of gaping wounds. More horrifying still, half the chained woman had been zombified and had even began to eat their still human chained neighbors. The zombies, catching wind of fresh meat, began to struggle against their chains. The space filled with the rattle of chains, the cries of the undead, and the pleads of the living. Clove had to cover her nose against the smell. The half eaten humans could not be saved and she gave them quick merciful deaths as she walked by them. Ignoring the moaning zombies she made her way to the back room. Glancing in she could see moonlight seeping through from the fallen floors above. If he wasn't there than where was he?

The room slowly seemed to quite down, almost as if someone had turned the volume on the room down. Clove suddenly felt a coolness seep into her skin and he hair on her neck stood up. She felt watched and tensed herself, wary of attack at any moment. Slowly she turned to face the chained zombies again. Their screams had become muffled groans and they seemed to cower in on themselves. Their master and jailer had returned.

"Well..."

Clove's head snapped up to the ceiling. Clinging from the stones was the vampire from long ago. He held onto the rafters with his hands, his back to the ground and his head tilted back to glare at her. He had luminescent blue eyes and ragged, wavy blonde hair held back in a crude ponytail. He bared his teeth at her then let go of the beam. Clove readied her sword and swung it down at the vampire's head as he hit the ground. With lightening speed he held a hand up and caught her sword in a truly iron grip as his hand and arm slowly became metal. Clove grasped her sword with both hands and pulled with all her might to no avail. A laugh rolled from the vampire's mouth.

"What a pretty little dhampire we have here..." With one strong jerk the blade flew from Clove's hand and came to a clattering stop against the far wall. Clove entered a ready fighting stance and began to back up slowly. The smirking vampire took a step for each of hers so no distance was really made between the two.

The vampire grinned again, smelled the air, and licked his lips. "My name is Evan... Now what can I call you my love?" he asked.

Clove remained silent and continued to slowly back up. Her mind raced with possible escape routes, fighting styles, anything to be not here and not with this sick monster.

"Aw... don't be like that love... The two of us will be together for a while... I must know what to call you..."

Silence again but this time her back hit the earthen walls. She had nowhere else to back up to. Clove chided herself for being so stupid. Running into a dead end room with no escape but to climb through the fallen floor above or back track up the main entrance stairs, stupid! Stupid and deadly.

Hands shot out and rested on the wall on each side of Clove's shoulders trapping her between his arms. Still with a sinister smile on his lips Evan leaned in closer to Clove, maybe to kiss her? Clove made a face of disgust and quickly, bracing herself against the earthen wall brought her legs up to her chest. With as much force as she could in such a constrains space she kicked out her legs, her feet connecting squaring with Evan's chest in an effort to dislodge him. Using his lightening quick speed he backed up, taking clove off guard and caused her to fall hard to the ground. 

Quickly, she was on her feet. But before she could do anything Evan's arms were around her holding her back tightly against his chest. The height difference meant Clove was lifted 4 to 5 inches off the ground, suspended in air. His ability to metalize his limbs gave him an amazingly strong grip. Stronger then Clove had thought possible for the vampire. Evan buried his face in her hair and inhaled deeply much to Clove's disgust. Her attempts to pry his arms open or to kick at his now metal legs failed her. 

"So beautiful you are, and so fierce too..." Evan pushed Clove's hair from her neck and rested his chin on her shoulder. "Are you going to be a good dhampire for me and tell me your name?"

All he got for an answer was defiant silence.

"So... that's how it is? Very well... suit yourself..." Clove became stiff with fear when she felt his fangs enter her neck. The feeling of blood leaving her was strange. It wasn't like the pulse of a deep wound it was a steady pulling. Her vision began to dim and she had was beginning to lose feeling in her limbs. It was the most sickening feeling she'd ever experienced. Clove was vaguely aware of his arms leaving her and her body hitting the ground. She rolled weakly to her back, her eyes staring up at the ceiling and Evan's face. He crouched at her head and whispered, "If you'd like not to be a zombie I advise telling me you name..."

Evan's face and words seemed distant as the loss of blood clouded her mind. Clove opened her mouth and spoke, "Clove... my name is Clove..."

She thought he smiled then but she couldn't be sure. "Clove... Well, you can go to sleep now my pretty Clove..." Her vision dimmed more and faded to black. She was sorry she ever underestimated him.


	9. Rainy reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not the most pleasant reunion.

For the first time in weeks the skies opened up and emptied their contents on to the parched grasslands who sucked them up greedily. While the drenching rain fed the long grasses it turned the dirt road to mud and kept the villagers of Boyceville locked in their house for the day. For the second time in two days the small troubled town got strange visitor.

Mayor Lawrence sat in his seat behind his desk and sighed heavily. The bad news was Clove had not returned, but the grim good news was that the stealing of bodies had slowed to one human a night in the past two nights. Lawrence knew that this meant that the vampire was preoccupied with Clove and shuddered to think what was befalling the dhampire. The sound of small rapid footstep approaching Lawrence's office distracted his train of thought. David burst through the door.

"Grandpa Lawrence! Grandpa Lawrence!" the boy cried excitedly. He ran to his grandpa's side bouncing on his feet.

Seeing David's youthful energy brought a tired smile to Lawrence's face. "Hey, where's the fire kid?" Lawrence asked.

"Another hunter just entered town, he's out in the square and when I asked him if he'd help he said yes. You gotta go meet him!" He said pulling at Lawrence's hand. The old man got to his feet and followed his excited grandson. Together the two stood in the doorway safe from the rain. In the square stood a black stallion, his rider standing at his side with his large brimmed hat acting as a rain guard. There was no mistaking who it was.

"Hello again D... It's been a long time..." David looked up at his grandpa in awe. How many strange people did his grandpa know? "Step inside so we can speak out of the rain," Lawrence offered. Leaving his horse to stand aimlessly in the square D followed the old man into the building. David trailed behind the pair dumbstruck by the dark rider as his Grandfather led the way into the sitting room.

Lawrence eased down into a chair and before D could ask, not like he would, he began. "The vampire from 50 years ago has come back and he's worse than ever. He kills without provocation. Although he's slowed down that last days," Lawrence sighed and leaned his elbows on his knees, steeping his hands. "Mostly I think because he's been preoccupied..."

"Why is that?" D monotone voice asked.

Lawrence took a deep breath. He wasn't sure how the dhampire would take this given his emotional display with the girl 50 years ago. "Well... You see two days ago we hired another hunter to go after him. She hasn't come back... I fear he's toying with her."

D felt an uncomfortable twinge in his stomach. There weren't many lone female hunters. "She?" he questioned.

"Yes... you see we hired a woman, a woman named Clove..." Lawrence finally spat out.

D's eyes snapped to Lawrence. "My Clove?" D asked before he could stop himself. Lawrence hesitated and then nodded. D's usual monotone face morphed into shock that quickly turned to anger. The hunter looked away from Lawrence; trying to steady himself. He remember that vampire's infatuation with Clove as a girl... 'Preoccupied... toying with her'. The dhampire felt a horrible fear. It had been a long time but just yesterday since D regretfully left Clove on her own and these recent events made him regret it all the more. D shuddered and quickly exited the house into the now pouring rainfall. Ignoring the yells of Lawrence D mounted his horse and took off toward the fort.

 

Clove slowly regained conciseness, her eyes opening to stare at the rafters above her. It seemed that Evan was living among the rafter now since he and D had destroyed his tower room. Her hat had long been lost among the zombies on the floor and her clothes already rumpled and dirty. She lay on a makeshift loft littered with ragged blankets that were all covered in blood. If the smell of dried blood didn't make it uncomfortable enough the cold body pressed against Clove's back topped it off. Clove lip curled up in disgust. 'Ick, he's spooning me again. It wouldn't be as bad if he weren't so goddamn cold!' Clove thought. Evan, like that last two days, was curled up against her back with an arm latched onto his waist. An arm that was all but unmovable. Despite this fact Clove gave his arm a tug, which only caused this fact to be reaffirmed and to wake Evan up.

The drowsy vampire made a noise and nuzzled into her hair. "Mmm... I love rainy days, covers up the sun..." he mumbled from her hair. He yawned and sat up taking Clove with him so she sat in his lap. Evan leaned his face forward and rubbed his cheek against hers. "How are you today my lovely clover?"

"I'm tired, hungry, dirty, and disgusted..." Clove spat out.

"Tired, hungry, and dirty I can take care of, I can't wait to remedy the dirty part," he added with enthusiasm. "But why are you disgusted so?"

Clove rolled his eyes. Was he serious? "Why do you think? Its you and this undead harem you're keeping, it makes me sick!" Clove answered.

Evan gave her midsection a painful squeeze. Through clenched teeth he said, "Is that so love? Well now that I have you there's no need for a harem anymore is there?" He stood up suddenly still holding onto clove and whispered in her ear, "you're all I need now so it would be best if I took care of you..." his arms left Clove and she fell to the floor at his feet. Evan leapt to the floor and walked to the stairs. 

He stopped at its foot and turned to look up at her. "Don't go trying to runaway while I'm gone... Just remember what happened to that horse of yours." He flashed her a smile at the paling of her face.

As soon as she had woken up she had taken her chance and left as soon as he went to the village. She had mounted Ives and rode as fast as she could. Of course Evan caught her and as punishment she forced her to watch as he tore Ives to pieces on leg at a time and disemboweled him. With the disturbing memory of her poor horse Ives he left her.

Evan flew along; the scenery sped by in a blur. Although he never bothered with feeding those humans, Clove was a different story. He'd get the finest food that trash heap of a town had to offer for her and maybe steal some blankets and clothes too. While rags were good for him his little trophy needed more. Evan smiled and thought of how beautiful she'd look like wrapped in silk. The smiled was wiped from his face when he caught sight of a horse speeding toward him and his castle. He recognized that rider. A growl rising in his throat Evan came to land on the ground and waited. 

As D crested the hill and was greeted by unexpected surprise. He pulled the reins and stopped his horse to stare at the vampire.

"Well this is convenient..." Left hand mumbled.

"Where is Clove?" D questioned his voice laced with anger.

Evan let a laugh roll from his lips. "Getting to the point quiet quickly aren't you? Well I on the other hand like to take things slower. My name is Evan and yes I have acquired that lovely woman you call Clove and she currently is at my temporary home."

D pulled at his horse's rein and began to move forward. Evan didn't budge and instead began to approach him. "Do you think that you can get my Clove so easily?" he asked his voice dripping with self-confidence. The dhampire didn't respond but stopped his advance. Evan walked up to the D's side and looked up at him with the most sinister of smiles.

"She's not yours..." D stated manner of factly. "She won't let anyone call her theirs but if anything she is my Clove." 

Evan's smile fell away He began to bear his teeth and open his mouth to speak but before he could get out the final word D reared his steed and took off like a bullet. Evan let out an angry scream and wasted no time in joining the race. He easily out shot D and was at the castle before he knew it. Evan landed on the inside the archway and walked at a fast pace to the stairs. There he was met with another unexpected surprise.

Crawling up the stairs was a zombified woman, several women actually. Their faces were wrinkled and shriveled from being dead so long. They screamed and reached their hands out to their maker mumbling and gruggling, their brains and vocal cords now far too rotten to form speech. Evan ignored them and leaping over the horde he ran down the stairs.

"CLOVE!" He screamed leaping up into the rafters. His vampiric eyes scanned the loft. Clove was nowhere to be seen. Evan let out a scream of anger and flew back up the stairs over the moaning zombies and began searching the rubble for Clove. He didn't have to look long. A drenched Clove stood on the last remains of a recognizable fort, a stonewall with a ledge. Evan leapt up to her, grasped her around the neck. And lifted her off her feet.

Clove pulled feebly at the hand around her neck. The continual blood letting she had endured had weakened her considerably. "What-what are you so mad about?" She choked out. "I didn't try to run away did I?" Clove sarcastic tone only made Evan madder. He was about to reply when as a loud whinny filled the air. Both heads turned toward the bridge and saw a black clothed rider speeding across the bridge, cape flying behind him.

Clove felt coldness seep into her skin. She could feel her face completely drained whatever color she had left. Clove didn't know how to feel at the entrance of her ex-savior. With wide and watery eyes she whispered out his name, "D..."


	10. Promise broken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The battle continues

Evan's grip loosened as his focus shifted to the rain drenched black rider. Clove took this moment of distraction to launch a feeble attack. Bringing her legs up to her chest she kicked out with all her might; a repeat of her earlier effort but with better results. Evan's hands slipped from her throat and she landed flat on her bottom. Quickly, she climbed to her feet as her captor stumbled backward. Even though weakened Clove went on the offensive and launched her shoulder forward into his lower stomach. With assistance of the rain slicked stones Evan toppled over on to his back. Clove paused briefly to try and clear her head which had first been dazed due to blood lose but was now in a fog. She quickly turned and made to run to the edge. Instead she ran in an immovable force. 

D's arms closed in around Clove. The younger dhampire face snapped up to look at him. Her face had an un-clove like pale chalkiness to it; her hair matted, dirty, and slicked against her face from the rain, and her eyes dim from tiredness and blood loss. As the two estranged dhampires stared at each other time seemed to stop and the pair seemed lost for words. D brought his hand up to stroke Clove's cheek. "Clove..." he said softly. Before his hand could reach her skin a scream brought them back to reality and their attentions turned to Evan.

"DON'T TOUCH HER!" he roared and ran toward the pair. D grasped his hilt and brought his sword out just in time to block Evan's steel arm from bashing him in the head. In the process he flung Clove to the ground a little roughly, mostly on rekindled instinct. The instinct and memory that she still needed him for protection, which he knew was false. D pushed Evan off with his blade and the fight was on and the combatants began jumping among the rumble like long ago.

Dazed, clove lay on her side watching the two fight through the now torrential downpour. They weaved among the stones slashing out at each other no progress on either side. Suddenly Clove's mind came back to the present and she realized something. 

'He tossed me aside like I couldn't defend myself...' Clove climbed to her feet with a scowl and was about to leap up into the rumble, but when her hand grasp empty air instead of a sword stopped short. 

Clove sighed and let her shoulders sag as the cold facts hit her. Her sword was lying on the dirt floor of the cellar and her daggers had been stripped of her and stabbed into the zombies as a morbid joke by Evans. Yes, they were all down stairs with the zombies that Clove had released in a fit of rebellion. 'Well, that came right back and bit me in the ass...' Clove thought to herself.

Clove took off down the rubble and to the only remaining room, the main hall. She stood on a stone outcropping looking down at her handy work. The zombies had wandered up from the cellar and into the open rain. Some of them had already begun wandering across the bridge to hunt for fresh meat. Since Clove had come to be Evan's 'guest' all the women had been turned so there were about 50 or so hungry zombies wandering around. 'Well maybe they'll just wander away to look for food and let me get my weapons nice and easy...' Just as this thought crossed her mind a zombie, with two daggers sticking from her face turned up at look at her. The woman's mouth opened long and she screeched alerting the others that there was fresh meat about.

"Oh shit..." Clove mumbled as the rest of the zombies turned to stare at her. With a piercing scream dagger face launched herself into the air and at Clove, the rest close behind her. Running on nothing but adrenaline the dhampire crouched and began leaping along the rubble. As tired as she was Clove would be damn if she'd die at the hand of some stupid zombies. The zombies launched themselves at her one after another. Just as Clove would dodge one zombie another was already headed toward her with mouth agape and claw-like hands extended. Weaving around the zombies Clove began to lead them away from the stairs. If she could get them all away from the stairs she would be able to double back and get her sword. Clove spared a moment to glance at D and Evan. The two were too engaged with their battle to give her any help what so ever.

Clove huffed out angrily and leaped up into the air just in time to doge another attack by dagger face. Clove twisted her body in the air and landed gracefully on the stone floor in front of the staircase. As soon as her feet hit the ground she was off and flying down the stairs with a horde of zombies at her heels. Clove pushed herself to the edge to stay a just ahead of them. Dagger face reached a claw out and swiped at Clove. The young dhampire flipped herself over, cartwheel style, to avoid the attack and to get within grabbing distance of her discarded sword. Clove reached out, grasped her sword's hilt, and swept it forward chopping off dagger face's head.

The head flew back hitting another zombie in the face and sending it crashing to the ground. Clove gripped her sword tightly and flew into action chopping off head after head. The mindless women continued to attack her and soon Clove stood in the corner ringed in a pile of dead headless zombies. With a grimace she wiped a large blood clot from her face and maneuvered through the bodies. Grabbing a few of her daggers from the lifeless bodies she headed back up the stairs. 'At least the rain with help wash away all this blood...'

Clove exited the staircase and looked up to try and find D and Evan which she soon did for they were still locked in battle. Clove felt determined to be the one to stop this battle and head toward the pair.

D was slammed into a rickety wall, which promptly began to fall over with the dhampire still leaning against it. D had nothing to prevent his fall and ended up lying on top of a pile of brick staring up at where he originally stood two stories above. D's back was completely raw and his head throbbed from the hard impact. He closed his eyes and reached to grasp a bloody spot on his head, his large hat had long since flown off so he had a full range of vision. When D opened his eyes Evan was leaping down to him.

D turned to grasp his sword, which had been jolted from his hand and brought it up to slash Evan, but the vampire would have none of that. He grasped D's wrist with his iron claw and began to squeeze. D clenched his teeth together and refused to let go. Evan sneered and began smashing D's hand into the fallen stones. D could feel his bones cracking and reluctantly opened his hand. His large sword clattered off the stones and away from him. Once his sword was out of the way Evan released his now bloody and twisted wrist and backhanded D with his steel claw causing blood to leak from his mouth and streak a cross the stones.

Evan held D down with his still flesh arm and raised his steel hand to finish off the job. The dhampire grasped on to Evan's pinning arms with his uninjured hand, although it was no use. "She is mine and no one will take her from me!" Evan spat through clenched teeth in D's face.

D watched Evan draw his hand back and closed his eyes. 'Is this it? Killed by this sad excuse for a vampire?' Evan let out a piercing battle cry that was stopped suddenly cut off and in turn his hold on D lessened. Cold droplet hit D's face but they weren't rain. Confused D snapped opened his eyes. Evan was frozen in his attack position, a dagger sticking through his neck. He tried to speak, his jaws moving up and down, but choked on his own blood. D flipped the gasping vampire to the side and pushed himself up with his good hand.

Clove withdrew her sword and hopped down toward D but she didn't stop at his side and instead walked toward Evan. Evan was clawing at the dagger trying to pull it out. His frantic hand grasped the hilt and with one quick pull it was out. Blood spurted everywhere; she must have nicked the vampire's jugular. Although dark sticky blood was already pooling around him Clove could see his wounds were already healing. She didn't want to give him the chance to speak nonsense again so decided it best to end it now. Clove brought her sword up and then down through Evan's neck severing his head and ending the immortals life.

Clove bent down and grasped the head by the hair. She was going to have to put it out in the open to ensure it burnt. Clove sheaved her sword and turned to see D watching her. Clove dropped the head at the sight of him.

"Ah... um..." Clove stumbled over her words. She wasn't sure what to say. The two just watched each other for a moment; in this moment Clove noticed the sorry shape D was in. His right hand was twisted and bleeding badly and he had splatters of blood every so often covering his body. Clove knew there were many more wounds underneath D's hard body armor. Clove reached up and wiped at the blood covering her cheeks. She was sure she didn't look much better.

D studied Clove over. She had become a beautiful woman and he was sorry he had missed her growing up. He was sorry he had missed so much of her life... D began to approach her. "Clove..." he whispered reaching out his left hand to stroke Clove's cheek. He let his hand drop and wrap around her waist embracing her in an one armed hug. He laid his head a top hers and sighed in relief. "I've missed you so much..."

Clove was ridged, her hands clenched into fists at her sides. Tears stung her eyes and a soft sob escaped her lips. Bringing her hands to her mouth she backed away from D.

D was a bit shocked when she did this and felt a horrible pain in the pit of his stomach seeing her eyes fill up and then over full with tears. The pain he got from watching her cry was worse than the throbbing one in his hand.

Clove was so ashamed of her crying. She'd sworn never to cry because of him again but she couldn't help it. "Why!" she cried out. "Why did you leave me?"

D's eyes softened and he let his shoulders fall and his body relax. He approached Clove again. "I'm so sorry Clove, at... at the time I thought it the best thing for you-"

"How! How could you think abandoning me the best thing for me!" Clove yelled at him.

"Clove, I thought at the time that if you stayed with me any longer you'd end up getting killed... I just didn't want you be hurt anymore little Clover..." he said softly reach out his arms to Clove. "Please," He said softly. "I'm sorry..."

Clove shook her head to try and stop her tears. She wanted more than anything to run into his arms but something held her back. Clove was just afraid of being left again.

"Please Clove... I'm sorry, that was the biggest mistake I've ever made... I'll never leave you again...I love you"

Those were the words that Clove needed to hear. She smiled through her tears and collapsed into D's arms letting hers wrap around his neck. D was soaking wet and aching all over but he was happier than he had been in decades.


	11. Dear D

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Coming to terms with the past is hard to do for immortal beings.

My three leaf clover – ch11 – Dear D

After a briefly savoring the moment D carried a weary Clove to his horse. He'd seen the remains of what Evan had done to hers. Secretly he was kind of glad that he got to ride with her again. He had missed the feeling of a warm body and her presence in general. After seating Clove a top his black steed he laid out Evan's head and body to be burnt by the coming sun. Afterward he picked up his discarded hat, set it back in place, then climbed up behind Clove. He led his horse at a lazy pace across the bridge.

Clove sighed and leaned back against D's chest as she had done many times before. Her adrenaline now gone, she fast found herself slipping into a boneless sleep. D gingerly laid his broken hand a cross Clove's lap to secure her as he had done many decades earlier, a faint smile gracing his face. For the first time in a long while D felt completely content and whole. It was strange to feel something other than loneliness or nothing at all. 

By the time the town came into sight the sun had risen and the village was wide-awake. The evening rain had faded away to a slow drip and the new day's rays broke feebly through the cloudy sky. The villagers made haste through the muddy streets but paused as the strangers lopped by to stare. The pair made their way to the town hall and were greeted by an excited Lawrence and David.

Lawrence hobbled as fast as he could to D's side with his grandson on his heels. "Did you do it?" He asked with wide eyes. "Did you finally finish him off?"

D nodded his head. "His body should be roasting in the sun at the moment," D answer, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Lawrence made a gestured to Clove who was stirring. "What about Clove? Is she alright?"

D looked down at his now rousing Clove. "She's fine… A bit dirty and tired but otherwise fine… I was wondering if you allow us to stay with you until Clove gets back on her feet. Her horse which held everything she owned was slain." He left out any mention of bloodletting; the old man didn't need to know the whole truth of her condition. 

Lawrence nodded, "Of course you can stay, stay as long as you like! But I have to deal with a few things." D could see a few curious villagers wandering toward their mayor. "Ah…Here David will get you all set up at our home."

David swallowed nervously and cracked his head back to look up at D. To David, D was the most intimidating person he'd ever met in his short life. Even holding Clove to his chest the tall dhampire emanated a dark and dangerous energy that the boy and other villagers felt weary of. The little boy gathered his courage, gave his britches a tug, and gestured for D to follow him. After stabling D's steed David rushed to the house, beckoning them to follow. D wrapped his exhausted companion in his cloak, clasp her shoulder, and walked casually to David who was waving his arms around frantically to try and sped the dhampire up.

Upon entering Clove let D's cloak slip from her shoulders, wandered to a couch, and fell face down. She then promptly curled up and fell asleep. David bent down and picked up D's discharged black cloak and held it up to him. His eyes were plastered down, not willing to look into D's eyes. The dhampire reached out and took his cloak from the young boy's hands. Silently without glancing at the boy D made his way to Clove coming to stand at her head.

"I… I guess she's real tired huh?" David's quiet voice spoke up. He took a few steps toward the two.

"Yes…" D answered. Clove had used all her energy on that last battle and her adrenaline rush was long gone. Not only was she fatigued from combat and the many wounds suffered from it , but she still was running on limited blood. She simply couldn't stay awake anymore. D had a strong urge to brush back the light blonde locks that covered Clove's face but resisted. Although one would think D would be a person to not care what others thought of him, which for the most part he was, he didn't want to display any extra affection on Clove in front of the boy. 

D gently scooped Clove up in his arms. "Is there a room where we can sleep?"

David nodded. "Y-yeah, come on. We've got a spare room upstairs for you guys." The boy led them to the same room they'd used years before. 

D entered the nostalgic room and laid Clove on the bed and began removing her soaked shoes. David seeing that D didn't need him for anything left quietly. D eased Clove under the covers and stood watching her and thinking. He felt so…so… He didn't even know exactly how he felt watching Clove. Even when he had her as a child he was mostly unfeeling. He certainly didn't express emotions openly except for the occasional smile he would bestow on Clove and his emotional outburst on the bridge years ago.

"She's more lovely than I remember!" Left hand spoke up. D's blissful silence musing was rudely destroyed.

"You act as though you missed her…" D spoke silently. He tossed his hat to the table and sat down on the bed slowly so not to disturb Clove. Although, in her dead sleep he could've jumped on the bed and not roused her.

"Damn right, better company then you'll ever be!" the parasite replied. 

D made an incoherent noise in response to left hand. He lay down on his side next to Clove with his face in front of the sleeping girl or more appropriately the sleeping woman.

"Hm…" the parasite mumbled. "What is your mind thinking dhampire? Is it straying to sinful actions?" he asked suggestively.

D sneered at the thought and then reconsidered for the thought had briefly crossed his mind. He felt ashamed to admit it but it was true. He'd left one day and came back to see a beautiful woman in the little girl's place. D couldn't have imagined how beautiful Clove would become. D brushed Clove's hair from her face tucking it behind her shoulder. Even with the rain her face was bloody and dirty. She'd need to bath when she woke up. He found his hand going back to Clove's face gently stroking her cheek. Even though she was dirty and weak her skin still showed the promise of beauty. A lovely creamy white color lay waiting to appear, not chalky like his. 

"D…"

The parasite's drawling voice brought D from his trance. He gave his head a shake and sighed. Crawling in closer to Clove he fell asleep. The two slept the rest of the day and into the night. D finally awoke at early dawn. Careful not to disturb Clove he rose and had David prepare a bath for Clove when she awoke. Once the porcelain tub had been filled to the rim D knelt at the bed and gently shook Clove awake.

Clove brows furrowed at first and her lids slowly fluttered open. She started at D blankly then ,as the realization dawned on her, she smiled. She reached her hand out to D's face.

D leaned his face forward so Clove's hand lay against the cool skin of his cheek.

"I was afraid I'd wake up and you'd be gone again…" Clove said quietly.

D reached up and clasped Clove's hand in his. "What I said Clove it was the truth. Now come on there's a hot bath waiting for you." Clove, still hand in hand with D, climbed to her feet and followed him to the bathroom. He then excused himself. As she sunk deeply into the calming water Clove thought over was D had said to her.

"Please I'm sorry…

She sunk deeper into the warm water, her nose hovering just above the water.

"Please Clove…   
That was the biggest mistake I've ever made… 

I'll never leave you again…

The dhampire could feel a sob catch in her throat as tears swelled and dripped from her cheeks.

I love you…"

Clove brought her hands to her face, her sob breaking from her throat. 'Does he love me or does he love the little girl I used to be? Because of what he did I'll never be the same again…' Clove brought her knees to her chest laying her head atop them. 'I'm not the same little girl and never will be her again. He loves a long dead shadow…'

Over the next two days Clove stayed secluded in D's and hers room dressed in the white dress that David had found for her. He told her it was his mother's dress. She'd accepted it with thanks. It fit like a dream. Thin straps entwined in ribbons with a shallow curved neckline. It stopped below her knees and swayed at the slightest movement. Not that it could be seen. Clove stayed wrapped in a downy blanket in an over-plush chair that looked out the window. 

Although a bit confused by her actions D, being a very practical man, spent that time gathering her needed supplies: horse, sword, clothes, ect. He just figured she needed some time to think. In actuality it was more like brooding.

On the night of the third day, D brought dinner up to Clove with the help of David. She would never eat anything they brought her so he figured he would try see if she would eat if he ate with her. Although as dhampires they did not need to eat regularly, the pair needed to eat to heal faster and Clove needed to eat to replace her blood loss. D sat down at the table to his bowl of soup. Clove's bowl was opposite of his yet she still sat in her comfy chair with knees drawn up to her chest.

"You've been quiet…" D commented as he stirred the thick soup.

Clove turned and looked a D with tears streaming down and a sad smile gracing her face.

D put down his spoon and rose from his seat his hands planted on the table. "Clove?"

Clove sniffled and let a sad laugh escape her lips. "You said you loved me but after thinking your words over I think you were confused. I'm not the same clove you knew… I've changed since I woke up alone… maybe for the better because I was forced to fight for myself but also maybe for the worse because I've changed so much D…"

D walked to Clove lost for words. He reached out to brush Clove's cheek but she turned her head to avoid his touch.

"You don't love me…" she said sounded defeated. Then softly continue, "You love that little girl I used to be…"

D was motionless, his mouth agape. He closed it and thought over what she had accused and about what Left hand had mused a few nights prior. Did he simply love the little girl he remembered, did he long for companionship, or did he want the fierce women she'd become. He knelt before the chair and laid a pale hand on Clove's cheek. She did not turn away this time. Gently, he wiped at her tears. His brown eyes locked with her aqua ones and the two simply gazed at one another. D took a deep breath and began.

"Clove, I have lived a long time. I've fought many battles, met many people, and had many companions. Of all of the lives I've entered I realize that yours was the only one that mattered. Your life, among all others made me feel. You made me feel joy, hope, amusement, comfort, fear, desperation, and love.” Clove leaned her cheek against his palm and smiled slightly. D returned her smile and continued, “It's true. I did love the girl that you were and that life has taken her away. She grew up and became a stranger. So please, give me the chance to get to know and fall in love with the women she became.”

Clove felt tears prick at her eyes again at D's honest answer but stubbornly blinked them back. Her smile grew and she nodded. “Okay. I'd like that.” Slowly, she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around D's neck, hugging him tightly. The taller dhampire returned her affection.

“You know....” called out a muffled voice. The pair parted to reveal the parasite had appeared from D's palm. “I was against leaving you and instead in favor of D being a better guardian who ya know... doesn't let his ward get heat sickness and almost die... but whatever!” 

D frowned but clove let out a small laugh. “Thanks, that's what I was in favor of too.” She leaned back into the chair again. “Ya know, I was angry at you for a very long time D....” D stood up and pulled over a chair. As he sat she continued. “You broke something in me when you left me. Maybe it was a good thing. It made me grown up and for our kind to survive we can't hold on to childhood innocence. It's a thing that can get our young killed.” 

“How was it...” D asked. “I mean, I know it would be hard...” He looked as though he wanted to ask more but was unsure of how to. She could see as emotion flashed across his dark eyes at the memory that the decision to leave wasn't taken lightly on his part. Clove pulled her legs underneath herself and got comfortable. It felt therapeutic to talk about the past.

“I won't lie to you. It was so hard at first,” she shook her head as the memories came. “I hated you so much sometimes. I'd go to bed thinking about what I'd do to you if I saw you again,” this earned a chuckle from Left hand, “but then I did.” D's tilted his head to one side, confused.

Clove laughed, “Yes, I saw you once. You were racing down a mountain trail and with all my bravado and plotting you'd think I'd have given chase but I didn't. I was terrified; Paralyzed with fear and as soon as I could feel again I turned around and went the other way.”

“You were afraid of me? Why?” D asked softly.

Clove shook her head and her eyes looked up toward the ceiling. Maybe the answer lay up there because she didn't know. “Maybe...” She looked back at D and smiled. “Maybe because I did love you so much and I was...” she struggled for the right words. “I think I ran because the scariest possibility of a reunion came to me then.”

D reached out his hand to hold hers. “What's that?”

“The possibility that you would look at me like I wasn't anything. That I didn't matter, that I never mattered to you.”

“Clove,” D began giving her hand a squeeze. “I'm sorry that I put you through that. And I'm sorry that I could ever make you feel that way.”

She was silent for a moment. “I forgive you. I believe I can understand why you did it and I forgive you” D's mouth curled up into his slight smile and Clove smiled back and nodded, unable to say more verbally. “I think I'm hungry.”

D took the hint, that was enough sharing for now, and released her hand. The pair then sat at the table and ate. They spent the meal going over the supplies gathered and the current state of the village. All of the departed women had been returned to their families and buried respectfully and their friend the mayor was in talks to destroy the old fort. After finishing up Clove stretched her arms above her head and yawned. 

“Ugh, all I've done is sleep and I'm still tired....”

“All the brooding will do that too you,” Left hand commented. 

Clove stood and responded, “I missed you too. By the way never had dreams of killing you in revenge.” This earned a laugh from the creature. 

“Everything we need is ready. We can leave tomorrow morning,” D said in his familiar monotone. He paused then looked at Clove. “At least I'd like to leave together...” 

Something felt off to her still but Clove smiled at him and nodded. With only one bed in the room D offered to sleep elsewhere but Clove refused. This might be the last time either slept in a bed for a long time. Clove curled up underneath a mountain of comforters while D slept on top of the sheets flat on his back with his had over his face. Although they were both dhampires D's alien way of sleeping had always baffled Clove. She tried it once and was not a fan. D fell away into sleep easily but Clove found herself tossing. Tired as she was thoughts kept her awake. 

'You'd think I'd be resting peacefully. I- We have a chance to come back together. To get to learn each other again. I should be content… but I'm not. Ugh why not?' Clove thought angrily. She rolled onto her back, D style, and stared at the ceiling looking for answers again. D's slight breath was the only sound. 

'I guess.... I'm not content yet because he still doesn't understand the pain I felt… to be honest I don't understand the pain he felt at leaving me either. He said he's sorry, and I believe him, and I said I forgive you and I meant it...' 

She then rolled over to face away from D. That's when her eyes fell upon D's carefully packed supplies. She felt her heart sink as realization hit her. She knew what to do.

 

D awoke the next morning to a cold bed. At first he thought that maybe Clove went down stairs for some food but when his eyes strayed to his supplies and he knew better. Alarmed he sprang to his feet and went to investigate. In the space where he'd carefully piled Clove supplies was empty but for a letter.

Dear D,

Please forgive me for what I've done as I have forgiven you. I was mostly angry because you couldn't understand my pain but I realized that while you didn't understand my pain of being left I didn't understand the painful choice you made. I think that this switch in roles will help us understand each other better. In another 50 years or so we'll meet and be closer than ever. Even as I write this I'm dying inside but I have to be strong. D please try not to be so cold to everyone, be kind. Not to the point of pity but be emphatic. You can understand lost can't you? Unlike them I'm still alive and we'll meet again someday.

D, I loved you once and I aim to love you again.  
Clove

D let his arm drop and wandered over to the room lone window. He laid his forehead against the pane of glass. For the first time in a long while it wasn't raining and the sun shone through the clouds. D sighed let a tear roll down his cheek.

 

"Damn…" Left hand mumbled. "I miss her already!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N – I had to totally rewrite the last part of this chapter. The original version, the one I wrote when I was a very wise in all of the goings on of the world teenager, had a cliché romance moment where D goes to silence Clove's questions with a kiss. Teenage me thought this was super romance. Adult woman me, not so much and not so much something a strong women would allow an estranged man do. Plus, I don't think D is that much of a jerk. Also, noticed there was not enough Left Hand. 
> 
> Originally, I ended this story with a short epilog that glosses over how they come back together but it strikes me that I could very easily instead write a whole separate story. I do love VHD, it's such a great universe so if theirs enough interest I might consider it. Thanks for reading!


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